


Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger

by ElmiDol



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Cunnilingus, Dangerous Dildo, Double-D, Dry Humping, Embarrassing Situations, F/M, Restraints, Teasing, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-03 04:43:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 64,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11524800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElmiDol/pseuds/ElmiDol
Summary: Going for a cup of caf had never met with such results. But so happens in the First Order: you are to expect the unexpected.That being said, you weren't going to allow the General's unexpected attraction to you ruin your vacation.





	1. Must Love Cats

**Author's Note:**

> Because, as I said on instagram, we need more Hux fics~ (And this idea wouldn't leave me alone)

 

** Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger **  
_One_  
Must Love Cats

Having a cup of caf had never been a more lonely experience in your life. You sat with your hand balled into a loose fit, elbow upon the table and cheek resting on your knuckles. Your cheeks puffed up, lips pursed out, and you blew a steady stream of air as you sighed for what felt to you to be the millionth time. The steam had long since stopped filtering into the air from your cup. The liquid within had already cooled. As for the seat across from you at the table, it was empty. Empty.

Your mind raced through the possibilities. Something had come up, and the individual was unable to contact you. They were not where they could reschedule. Another possibility, that it had a been a sham all along. A joke. Or, worse yet, they had come, _seen you_ , and thought you were not to their liking.

All in all, the end result was the same. You had been stood up.

The other occupants of the café hardly paid you any heed. The other First Order officer who was present was too involved in his work, the man chewing on the end of his thumb whilst gazing at the screen of his device. You glanced his way once more to ensure he was ignoring you, that he did not recognize you. You knew him, of course; how could you not? There had been only three transport shuttles that had taken officers to the planet for a brief vacation. Even with the officers being out of their uniform, all of you carried yourselves a certain way.

A shadow in your peripheral drew your attention back to the table. You opened your mouth to object to the individual taking the seat across from you—it was hopeless, yet you refused to give up hope—only to find yourself speechless. He probably did not recognize you with the red dress you were wearing. That was it. It had to be. The red dress. You wished that you could muster up the self-control needed to pull yourself together and blurt out that you were his subordinate. Or that you needed the chair he was presently occupying to be vacant. Just in case.

General Hux did not look up from his datapad. The man was not dressed casually; he still donned his uniform. Hair in perfect order. No hat or greatcoat though—not that it would have been prudent given the current weather.

The waitress walked by, took his order, and then left your table to give what was written to the barista. Your eyes were glued to the counter. More specifically, to the individual making the drink for your general. You needed his chair—could you politely ask the waitress to set the redheaded man’s cup at a different table? Would that be rude of you? Why, your mind at last asked, was he even sitting with you?

In your peripheral, you noticed that his eyes were _not_ on his datapad. You cleared your throat, adjusted the front of your dress so that less cleavage was exposed, and sat up a little straighter. General Hux lowered his eyes to his work again—or whatever it was that he was doing on his datapad, but if you _had_ a guess, it _would_ be work. While he busied himself with this, your mind was bringing up a question: if the kriffing _General of the First Order_ thought you looked good in the dress, how was it that someone had stood you up? Or were only your tits appealing?

A scowl twisted your features. The waitress came by with the new cup of caf—ginger caf. What a _weirdo_. And he had opted to not have any cream. “It is better this way,” he commented. You felt your cheeks get hot, your eyes widening as you realized that you had been staring _too_ intently given that he had caught you. General Hux at long last set down his datapad, the screen of which was blank, indicating he had shut down the device. He hooked two fingers into the handle and lifted it to his lips. His eyes were on you the entire time. You squirmed a little in your seat. “I apologize for being late.”

“Wh…a…t?” You wished you were more eloquent, especially given that apparently your blind date was your boss. You were _never_ going to rely on a dating app again.

“The program is still in its beta phase. My information was not to be included—I had not checked the system until the captain alerted me.”

It was a worse punch in the gut than if you _had_ been stood up. This was an accident. He did not want to date you. The man was here solely to save face. You transferred your attention back to the window that had so entertained you while you had been sulking. The caf, when you lifted it and took a sip, was room-temperature and not anything worth drinking. Could this situation be any worse?

“The officer who managed to use my information created a screen name and from there scheduled to—“

It _could_ get worse. You _had_ been stood up. It _had_ been a joke. General Hux was here solely because _his_ information was what had been used.

You felt your entire body growing hot, your stomach threatening to churn. Swallowing thickly, you reached for your purse. It did not take you very long to fumble for your wallet and pull out the correct amount of credits for your cup of caf. General Hux made to protest, however silenced himself immediately when you glowered at him through the tears that were, shamefully, starting to gain their freedom from your eyes. He lowered his gaze from your face, staring straight ahead and attempting to remain impassive as you threw down the credits and made your way out of the café. Of course, _now_ the patrons _were_ taking notice of you.

 _Click-click_. You paused in your steps, lifting up a foot at a time and removing your high heels. Dangling them from a finger by their straps, you continued on your way back to the hotel. When you arrived at your room, you threw your shoes and purse into a corner. The door shut before you started to strip out of the dress. Your chest heaved with a sob.

How _kriffing_ embarrassing!

General Hux had not exactly been in the wrong, the man doing what he could to remedy an unfortunate situation. Yet you wished he would have stayed away. This was a situation in which _not_ knowing would have been preferable.

Practically naked, you walked through your hotel room without a care that anyone would see you. The curtains were already drawn and you were not sharing the room with another person. You rummaged through the bedside table drawer for the device on which you had installed the app. Sniffling and continuing to hold in sobs, you logged onto your account. You tapped onto the _Matches_ portion and gagged. You felt like vomiting. How could you have been so stupid?

Whoever had managed to use General Hux’s information had decided on an avatar that was generic. A cup of caf, which was why you had suggested meeting for one. The job description on the profile had said only _Officer_. No rank, nothing. Eye color: Green-blue. Not a lie there, you thought whilst snarling. Hair color had been marked as ‘light’—you had been thinking maybe blonde. Shared interests with you included reading, caf, and felines.

“Such a joke,” you choked out. Your throat felt raw and you had not even been crying that long. You knew that whatever officer had used the redhead’s information was going to be punished; that was the only minute amount of relief that could be given to you.

A knock on your door.

_Kriff! Go away!_

Though you wanted nothing more than to shout this at the top of your lungs, you kept quiet. Well, mostly quiet. You grumbled on your way back to the door. Your hand gripped the handle, and you swung open the—

“G-general!” you stammered. His eyes were not on your face. You blinked, looked down at yourself, and slammed the door in his face. _How did I forget I took off my dress!?_

The day was refusing to improve for you. Embarrassment was turning into mortification. You were again scrambling with your clothes, this time attempting to pull them on. The dress was askew when you reopened the door. General Hux’s eyes flicked up from your covered crotch to your face. Aaaaand now they were running along your cleavage. You placed both hands over your breasts, realized how ridiculous you looked, and instead moved behind the door, which you closed halfway.

“May I come in?” he asked levelly.

“Nope,” you said, a sort of popping sound leaving you as you pronounced the final portion of the word. You shook your head back and forth. “No—nuh-uh. No, sir.” _There_ , you thought when at last you managed the last phrase.

“Then may I suggest you throwing on a robe so that we may speak out here?”

Your lips puckered forward into a sort of fish-face. Not the most endearing expression, you thought in the back of your mind. The majority of your attention, meanwhile, was on completing the task of closing the door to search for said robe. All rooms provided them—where the kriff had you put yours? In the refresher probably, you thought. You quickly made your way into there, located the robe, and flung it on as you ventured once more to the door.

This time you stepped out into the hallway with your superior. It was he who looked out of place in the hotel’s hallway, which gave you a little semblance of comfort. General Hux started to cross his arms behind his back, paused, and lowered his limbs to his sides. You were unsure whether you should be standing at attention or not; you opted to remain as you were unless his body language indicated you should remedy this.

 _I had even shaved my legs for this date,_ you thought whilst waiting for him to speak. The man sure was taking his time; he was likely watching you. The situation was not desirable for him either, you reasoned. Here he was, attempting to do the right thing. _Cut him some slack._

“Were those imperial symbols on your panties?”

 _Inappropriate question!_ your mind snapped at him. You shrunk from his gaze. This was the kind of meeting you had never thought you would have with your general. You largely would have preferred if it had never happened—even if you did think the man was attractive in a sort of distinguished way.

“Probably,” you muttered when you realized that his curiosity had been piqued enough for him to be waiting for an answer from you.

“I wasn’t aware they had made thong underwear with them…”

 _You are making this far more awkward than it needs to be, sir._ You chewed on your bottom lip to keep from saying anything. Your toes bounced a bit, drumming against the floor the same way your fingers were tapping on your thighs.

General Hux cleared his throat. “Perhaps, if you are willing, we could indulge on this vacation—“

“No,” you said cutting him off. You sniffled, took a step in retreat, and shook your head. “I… I messaged back and forth with someone, thought they liked me for who I am, and—I find out I got played, sir. You just want to see me because you can’t stop staring at my tits.”

For his part, General Hux appeared impressed by your boldness. Your hand was behind your body, fumbling to grab the handle—and you did manage to seize it simultaneous to him stepping forward. You glared at his chest.

“When informed by the captain that an account had been set up using my information, I had the identity of the individual discovered for me. This also allowed me to read all messages you exchanged with him.”

“So he may have shown up if—“

“No…he would not have.” His voice was soft, as though he was holding something back. “There were three other individuals with whom he had also arranged to meet with—at the same time, albeit in different locations. I have sent officers to inform them as well. Their drinks and food are being paid for.”

You grit your teeth. What had made _you_ so special that the man had come to see you himself? He should have sent a random officer to you as well. It would have been less of a blow. Was this pity? Sympathy? The man was… He was your General!

“Those were private messages, sir,” you spat out. “This is… this is highly inappropriate, not to mention invasive.”

General Hux straightened his posture at those words. “I apologize in that case.”

“Besides that, you’re my superior—indulging on this vacation? So, what? You can ship me off elsewhere when you’re done fucking me?” You were feeling rather hot again, anger drowning out all embarrassment. “I can’t… What do you want from me?”

“Perhaps a date for caf sometime?” he drawled without missing a beat.

You narrowed your eyes. “No,” you said, turning on your heel whilst whipping open the door to your hotel room. As it closed, it dawned on you that you had just rejected the General of the First Order.

_…he probably doesn’t even like cats anyway. The profile was a sham._


	2. Remain in Your Zone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the chapter that goes with the picture of Hux I drew xD

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**   
_Two_  
Remain in Your Zone

You liked felines for a number of reasons; some being that they were naturally curious, like you were, and that they tended to land on their feet—and you tried to land on _your_ feet as often as possible. Thus, once you were again alone in your hotel room and the redhead had left, you reopened the app. Navigating it was easy enough. It had struck you as odd that the redhead had claimed to have _his_ information taken—how were profiles started again? Ah! You opened the settings portion, your eyes scanning along the instructions.

Profiles were generated by using an individual’s First Order file when it came to their appearances including eye and hair color; this was to avoid deception. You narrowed your eyes when you scanned the next line. Interests were _also_ derived from the official records. You blinked, your eyes darting towards the ceiling whilst you thought: _Hmm_. Why it had escaped you that the General’s privacy had been invaded just as much as yours, you were not entirely certain. _So he does like cats then… Huh…_

Which was completely irrelevant to the fact that he had read through messages that hadn’t been meant for him—even if it _was_ his actual information that had first drawn you to him.

You browsed through more of the tutorial in order to learn which portions of the profile the officer would have been able to alter. Recent activities and extra hobbies. This portion, in what you now knew to be a fake profile, had read that the man had ended a three-year relationship following the discovery that his girlfriend had been cheating on him. This, of course, you knew to be a complete lie—General Hux was not in a relationship, and had not been for… You paused in your reading once more to tap a lone finger against your lips. You did recall the man bringing dates to a few events. When had the last one been?

With a shrug, you returned to finding the lies that had been sold to you. And apparently also to at least three other women. _There are some truly deranged individuals in this galaxy, aren’t there?_

You had no idea as to whether or not the included hobby of playing holochess on occasion was a true or false. You rarely ever played, and this fact had been one of those that had hardly impacted your decision to meet with the individual with whom you had been communicating. Recently joined a book club? You highly doubted the General had joined a book club.

The thought of being able to openly discussed novels you had read _was_ something that had caught your interest. You remembered having messaged your ‘match’ after reading that line in his profile.

For close to a month had you conversed via the messaging system with the man, who had apparently simply been bored and chatting with multiple women. Upon learning that you and he would both be taking vacation at the same time and to the same place, you had eyed his avatar, chewed on your lip, and typed out the invite to get a cup of caf at a café you had looked up. Sniffling now, you wondered why he had had to add further insult by arranging to meet with the other women at the _same time_. Couldn’t he have had an equally hard laugh by standing all of you up at different times?

With a heavy sigh, you exited out of the application without deleting it from your device. You would keep up your profile for the time being, even if you did not use it. This could not be allowed to ruin your vacation. You had earned some downtime, and so help the Maker, you were going to enjoy yourself!

Starting tomorrow. Tonight you were going to allow yourself more time to cry and scream into your pillow in rage.

You had both your dinner and breakfast brought to you. In the morning, it was not that you were sulking as to why you had the meal delivered to the room. It was more that you were deciding what it was you were going to do for the day. There were shops that you could browse. This caused you pause. Given that you were still quite a bit upset over what had occurred the previous day, you were likely to spend more than you actually _should_ in an attempt to console yourself. Something free, you told yourself. You moved over to the window and drew aside the curtain.

The beach was within view, and it was the perfect answer to your question. You gave yourself a nod, returned to where your food was sitting, and ate your breakfast in a _much_ improved mood.

Once finished, you changed into your bathing suit, grabbed a beach bag you had thought to pack, and began to put in a few things you knew that would be useful. Not the least of which was a book to read while you sunbathed. You grabbed the appropriate lotions, a small hand towel to put over your face if the sun became _too_ much, and loose clothing to throw over top your swimsuit for later. There were numerous tourists and vacationers like yourself walking around in their swimwear, which prevented you from feeling self-conscious. Your confidence had returned, albeit lessened because of having been deceived.

_Enough of that!_ you told yourself. Your eyes darted to the device on which the application remained. _Nope. That stays here._

Turning away from said object, you busied yourself with locating your sunglasses, which you slipped on then pushed up to the top of your head. You grabbed your wallet out of your purse, threw it into the bag, and finished with the last minute items you knew would be wise to take. You threw your device into a drawer for extra measure—unnecessary course of action, but one you were willing to take to make yourself feel better—slung your bag over your shoulder, and threw the room key into it when you had finished closing the door. All the utensils from your breakfast had been disposable, though you had no desire to have the trash removed until the following day. It would cost extra otherwise, a fact that caused you to roll your eyes. They really made tourists pay here. You were grateful that the First Order was covering most expenses for your vacation in terms of room and board, however they had already made it quite clear that anything exceeding the basics would be on you.

You liked to save your money for better thing than having your pillows fluffed _every_ morning. A massage, for example, would be pleasurable.

The moment you stepped out of the hotel, you were greeted with the fresh air. You inhaled deeply, walking down the road to the beach. A number of passersby were either going ahead of you to the same location or else returning from it. You mirrored any polite smiles that were sent your way. The atmosphere was very relaxed compared with the base on which you had been stationed. After this vacation ended, you and those on vacation would be traveling to your new duty station: the _Finalizer_.

_Need to soak up the sun as much as I can,_ you thought whilst tilting back your head. It wouldn’t be the same for quite a while.

The sand immediately managed to make its way into your flipflop. This brought a warm smile to your face. That smile faltered a little when you noticed something. Or, rather, someone. Did…did he even know _how_ to have a vacation?

The redhead whom you had rejected the previous day was also enjoying the beach. _Not really_. More: he was present on the beach. General Hux had yet again opted to dress in his uniform. He was stretched on one of the lounge chairs, a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes and am umbrella shielding him from the sun’s rays. His legs were bent a little, one of the few signs that he was remotely relaxed. For stars’ sakes, the man had his work datapad resting on his lap. Granted, his hands were not touching it for once. They were lying one atop the other directly above his datapad.

_Why is he even on the beach if he isn’t going to enjoy it?_

Your gaze, concealed by your pair of shades, traveled along the man’s body until it landed on his face. Sort of pale. Okay, pretty pale. The ginger-haired man would likely burn if he caught a single minute of sunlight. You hoped that he had applied the appropriate amount of sunscreen before coming to the beach. Eyes following along his legs as you made your way over to a vacant chair you knew to be available to anyone wanting it, you nearly shook your head at the sight of his boots.

_Live a little, General,_ you thought simultaneous to clicking your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Your mind decided to dredge up the memory of your superior asking you out for a cup of caf. _Live a little—but without me._

A small part of you wished one of the children playing with squirt blasters would soak the General; the larger part sincerely hoped they would _not_ , because you had no desire to see them become the object of said man’s wrath.

Technically there were other unoccupied chairs that you could take; the one that was near the redhead was simply the closest and you did not wish to continue walking. You set your bag down next to it and climbed onto the lounge chair with a sigh of contentment. Stretching your arms above your head, you closed your eyes behind your sunglasses whilst arching your back a little. The sun felt glorious, its warmth heating your skin, though not _too_ much. Perfect. Today was going to be absolutely perfect; karma owed you that much after the previous day’s events. Not a spoiled sort of ‘I just won the lottery’ perfect either—you weren’t selfish. Simply a ‘no bad shit, please’ sort of perfect.

The man who was roughly three feet away from you—just enough that the umbrella’s shade was not blocking the sun’s rays that you were happily basking in—did not react at all to your presence. You turned your head to look his way, attempting to see past the rim of his sunglasses in order to gather whether or not his eyes were closed. Falling asleep on the beach could be nice—it would make sense as to why he wanted to the umbrella, so as to not burn. His eyes, partially lidded, indicated he was not unconscious.

You dropped your hand over the side of the lounge chair, blindly dug through your bag for the book you had brought, and lifted the novel so that you could read. As you opened the book, you slipped your flipflops off of your feet and allowed them to fall flat on the very end of your chair. You were midway through the story, at a point in which the suspense was mounting. The novel did have a romance subplot, which you found to be disappointing as the relationship involved was one that you wished would either fall apart or have never existed in the first place. The murder mystery around which the novel took place, however, was something you needed to see through until the end. All in all, it was _not_ a book you would recommend to anyone once you were finished with it.

Perhaps you would take it to one of the used bookstores on the planet and exchange it for credit towards a better book. One worthy of the limited space you had to keep such things.

“The profile that was created using my name will be removed—the application may experience some down times while it is discovered whether or not other individuals had their information taken as well.” You hummed to indicate you heard him. “If—“

“Not to be rude, sir, but I’m trying to read this book.”

“Mm. I was judging your level of interest by the sour expression on your face.”

“The romantic subplot is once more getting in the way of things,” you said. Wrinkling your nose, you continued to speak without truly comprehending that you were telling this all to the General of the First Order. “Whenever they are in a scene together, the heroine’s entire identity becomes _about him_. It’s toxic and demeaning, the entire set-up. What’s worse is that a _female_ wrote this. It isn’t appealing, this view that women _naturally_ should play second fiddle to their partner. In fact, partner wouldn’t even be a correct term. Owner. Master. It’s appalling.”

“Then why, pray tell, are you continuing to read the book?”

“To learn the mystery behind the murder, and I’m hoping—stupidly so—that the romantic interest will somehow die. I have thought about skipping to the end to see what happens just to be done with the thing, but there’s the off-chance that I’ll miss a decent twist, which would only lead to even more confusion rather than a satisfying end.”

“On the rare occasion that I do read”—your interest was immediately piqued—“I choose two novels; if the main book is not quite satisfying, I can read the latter when I don’t want to deal with the chore of reading through the first. I eventually do finish both of them. Do you only read a single book at a time then?”

“It depends,” you said, angled your legs so that your knees were pointed in the direction of the man. You smiled at the company he was providing. The fact that he was allowing for casual conversation despite you having rejected him was something you greatly approved of. It was a maturity that a number of officers you worked with lacked, and why you had resorted to using an application for dating in the first place. “Since the majority of our items were being sent to the _Finalizer_ and there was limited space for this trip, I opted to bring only one book with the idea that I would buy another one or two. I’ve been muscling my way through this book for a few days. Usually I can finish a book in one or two days depending on how busy my schedule is.”

“I commend your level of perseverance—when you do finish the novel, perhaps you can tell me whether or not the ending was acceptable.” A pause, a sort of strangled noise leaving him as he visibly fought off a smile. The muscles in his jaw tensed, twitching, his lips beginning to quirk to the sides though he caught himself. “And whether or not the annoyance that is the romantic interest perishes.”

You were unable to bite back the grin. “I will, sir.” The silence that then fell was even more comfortable than the previous. General Hux’s hands at last shifted away from one another in order to play along his datapad. Perhaps, you thought, he was not _willingly_ glued to his work. You vaguely remembered seeing officers here and there walk to the redhead, informing him that he needed to take calls or else answer messages. You flipped to the next page in your book.

When it was time to flip onto your stomach, you were still immersed in the book. The idea that you could rant about it—whether it was disappointing or not—to someone willing to listen had strengthened your resolve to finish it. You were interrupted in your reading by the man when he asked if you could set your bag on his chair to save it while he went for a drink. Digging out your wallet, you gave him enough credits to bring you one back—something ice cold—and then obliged.

The beach was comfortable, and yet you did not want to overexpose yourself to the sun. General Hux moved the umbrella so that it was between your chair and his, the shade covering the both of you. You smiled, flipping onto your back again and venturing onward in the final fourth of the book.

From time to time, you sipped on your drink. The flavor was not something you would have picked out for yourself, however you found it very enjoyable. Far more enjoyable than the book, which had you groaning as you finished the final page.

“I take it he did not die.”

“Far worse,” you said, your voice pitching in a manner that would have had you embarrassed had you not been pressing forward already. “She was _not_ the heroine of the story. The summary was such a lie. _He_ solved it. Everything became about _him_. Ugh. I don’t believe in burning books, but… I’m going to burn this.”

“You could sell it in order to buy yourself a better book.”

“True, but that means this trash would be available for others to read.”

“There are more copies than just that one,” he pointed out, causing you to scowl. You placed the book into your bag. Maybe you _would_ sell it. May as well get something out of it, even if it wasn’t your wasted time or all your money back. So much for today being perfect; it wasn’t necessarily bad, but it was definitely not something you could now fully enjoy. “It was a pleasant morning.” You blinked, drawn away from your thoughts as the man stood. It occurred to you immediately that he was dismissing himself.

“Leaving to do work?”

General Hux tilted his head to the side, regarding you for two seconds in silence before replying, “It’s lunchtime.” You nodded dumbly. If you rose to leave as well, things would be awkward. You had rejected his offer for a date. At the same time, him mentioning the time had caused you to be aware of your own hunger. As if able to read your mind, General Hux gestured to two different buildings. “From what I’ve been told, those are the two most cost effective places to eat while also providing an enjoyable menu.”

You looked at each of them. Turning back, you furrowed your brow. The redhead had already started to walk away. “Would you like some ice cream?” you blurted. He hesitated in his next step. “Not a date or anything. I just, uhm, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to rant more about the book and _not_ look like a lunatic talking to herself.”

The man chuckled, accepting your request for company via waving his hand to indicate you should get up from your seat. You stood, grabbed out the shorts you had previously put in your bag and slipped them on, and slid your feet into the flipflops whilst moving the first few steps forward. He did not wait for you to catch up to him entirely before he continued to walk. You quickened your pace long enough to draw up to his side. The ice cream stand was on the edge of the beach right before the sidewalk. You grabbed enough credits from your wallet to pay for two cones. General Hux’s mouth twitched when you paid for his food, the man relaxing only when you informed him it was a gesture of gratitude for listening to the incoming rant.

He placed his datapad into your bag. The pair of you holding your cones, you moved out of the way so that more people could buy ice cream. General Hux listened to you as you spoke, the man taking bites or surreptitious licks of his treat. You paused to enjoy your cone as well. He didn’t remove his sunglasses even when you pushed yours to the top of your head. You rolled your eyes numerous times as you recounted all the annoyances of the book. General Hux bit down on the edge of his cone, chewing and grunting to let you know he was still listening.

“You know,” you began as you wound down, “I never would have thought that one of my bosses could be a good listener like this. Like a close friend.”

_Did I just…_ General Hux’s tongue was touching the ice cream he had exposed by eating parts of the cone. _…I just boss and friend zoned him both._

You lowered your ice cream. The redhead had withdrawn his tongue back into his mouth and was twisting the cone this way and that. Standing there as though he was hoping to leave any time now.

_Not only do you reject him, but you do this, too!_

General Hux cleared his throat. “That is…good to hear—that my subordinates feel that I can be approachable.” He twisted at his waist, his attention darting amongst various restaurants that were on the other side of the road. “This was…pleasant—yet I do need to eat lunch so that I can…get back to work.”

_You nerf-herder, why did you have to say that?_ you mentally berated yourself. “Y-yeah. Thanks again.”

He hummed, gave a nod by way of dismissing himself, and started away while eating the remainder of his cone. You looked down a the treat that was in your hand. It suddenly was far less enjoyable than before. You felt like a complete ass. Here he had been doing what he could to keep things from being awkward. Had been being a decent guy. And you had— _why_?

General Hux nearly made you scream when he arrived at your side whilst saying, “I forgot my datapad.”

“Oh. Yeah. Here.” You reached into your bag, handed it to him, and opened your mouth to apologize for what you had done.

He cut you off. “Your ice cream dripped.” General Hux began walking away in unison with you looking down. Your breasts. Your ice cream had dripped onto your cleavage.

“At least he didn’t try to wipe it off.”

The fact that he stumbled allowed you to know he was _not_ far away enough to miss your muttering.


	3. Got Your Nose

 

** Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger **  
_Three_  
Got Your Nose

A vacation was sometimes a nice way to tell the world to go fuck itself while you had the freedom to fuck yourself without worrying that a roommate would enter your shared quarters. Granted, you should have expected this since you had already established General Hux did _not_ know how to vacation correctly. The man had knocked on your door repeatedly, and you had ignored him, one hand over your mouth to muffle your moans—you were do _damn_ close and you _were_ going to cum! But you had forgotten proper safety protocol in the First Order. The looming threat that Resistance members would capture an officer, or that an officer would go AWOL. Thus the officer in charge—in this case, General Hux—had a key to every room.

You had managed to successfully throw a blanket over your lap to cover yourself. When you had made to toss the dildo off to the side out of sight—your hand failed in listening to your brain. Now there you were. Your jaw dropped open. General Hux holding his nose between two finger as blood began to leak. You had nailed him in the face.

_Please don’t tell me I broke his nose with my dildo,_ you thought, cringing. It didn’t help that there was a tell-tale wetness on his face that was _not_ from blood. Bodily fluids? Yes. His? No. _Maybe he won’t notice._

The redhead’s eyes met your face then dropped to the ground where the dildo had fallen after hitting him. “You have quite the arm,” he drawled, nudging the object with the toe of his boot. His words were distorted. _You hab ku-white da armb_. You chewed on your bottom lip. You would get up to assist him, you really would. You were even using a hand to fumble underneath the blanket, seeking out your panties. That was it: you weren’t going to get up and help him if you couldn’t cover yourself first. “Bwap da blahn-ket abround yourselb!”

It was getting worse. You had totally just broken his nose.

With a mental swear, you lifted your hips off the mattress and followed his instructions. You worked part of the blanket into a knot and nearly leapt from the bed towards him. General Hux had already turned around, the man making his way over to your refresher. You informed him that you would call a medic whilst blindly reaching into one of your drawers for bottoms. You whipped them on, located your commlink, and summoned the First Order physician you knew was present. The moment you ended the call, you hastily put away your dildo so that no one tripped over it. It had already proved to be dangerous enough!

“Sir, I am so…really sorry about, uhm….ouch….” You winced the moment you caught his reflection in the mirror. The black eyes were already showing. Definitely broken. And there was a fresh trail of water from where he had wiped away your, ahem, natural lubrication from where it had smeared. “My hand went the wrong way when I threw it.”

_Why did I say that to my General? Now he’s going to think I’m even **more** incompetent._

“Didt I interrubt your orgasmb?” You slowly shook your head, shifting uncomfortably from one leg to the other. “Goodt. You dondt deserb one. You broke my—“

“I’m sorry!” you spluttered. You grabbed a towel for him. General Hux snatched the material from your hands, setting it underneath his nose. The man waved his hand, as though dismissing you. Maybe he was dismissing you. This was going _horribly_. By the end of this vacation, your General was going to despise you. Rejecting him. Boss-zoning him and friend-zoning him. Breaking his nose with your dildo.

Your thoughts were interrupted only when the physician you had summoned knocked on your door. You permitted him entrance then remained in your room whilst he tended to the General in the refresher. The pair left without saying another word to you. You threw off your clothes, gave yourself a quick wipe down with a damp washcloth, and redressed. There had to be _something_ to better the General’s assessment of you. Right then he would be receiving Bacta treatment. Perhaps having his nose set right. The injury would be healed promptly, however the impression you had given him could potentially be long lasting, if not permanent.

Despite your want to better things between yourself and the General, you decided to give him some time to recover. You grabbed the bag you had previously taken to the beach, scrambling around inside to locate the book you planned on selling to one of the shops. You then grabbed your purse and headed out the door.

When you did arrive at the shop and sell the book, one part said you had been given too little while another argued you were given too _much_ for that load of garbage. Thus you were content to take what you were offered and begin to browse through the store. Your mind had yet again wandered to the profile of the dating app. General Hux liked to read, did he? What sort of books, you wondered. Perhaps you could pick him up something as well as a cup of caf in order to apologize. It was a small gesture—not too much ass-kissing.

You chewed on your bottom lip for a moment. The previous year you had been part of a small online bookclub within the First Order. There had been eight members aside from you. One of which, unbeknownst to six of the others, had in actuality been Kylo Ren. The man had been visiting the base at which you had been stationed at the time, and the officer working on his Command Shuttle was someone you had gone through training with. She had assisted the man in setting up an account after discovering Kylo Ren had stolen her copy of the book your group was to read. He had gone by the name _Matt_. The novel in question had been satire. In certain respects this hardly surprised you; a number of Kylo Ren’s comments could be construed as being sardonic or sarcastic. It was the perfect genre for him.

Not that you would outwardly admit that you were comparing your superiors, you could not help but wonder if General Hux, too, would enjoy satire. Not that getting hit in the face with a dildo wasn’t funny enough—you winced, hating yourself for snorting whilst holding back a laugh.

It then occurred to you that General Hux had been rather open with the idea of you sharing your thoughts on the previous book with him. Would he want to discuss a book he read as well? _Maybe he is part of a book club as well._ You moved to the satire section, crossing your arms over your chest and bending a little in order to read over the titles. You suddenly felt quite like an ass; he had mentioned reading multiple books at once when he had the chance to read at all, and you had never pushed to learn more about him. You had been too busy complaining. Maybe all he read was nonfiction? _I guess I’ll be having to take a chance on this._

Your gaze had paused on a book entitled _The Vacation of Death_. Quirking your lips to one side, you picked up the novel and turned it over to read the summary. Thinking it would include too much romance based on the summary, you replaced it and moved on. _Skeleton Whore_ was next to cause you pause. Dare you? You dared. You snatched up a copy, tilted your head to the side, and read on. The novel revolved around a prostitute who aided in covering up murders of her previous johns—for a fee, of course.

“I want this book,” you muttered, grabbing up a second copy. You did not have to tell the General that you were reading the same book as he was—if he even read what you purchased for him at all. On the slight chance that he would wish to discuss it with you, however, you would be more than willing. You paid for the two copies, exited the shop, and decided that there had to have been enough time for the man to have been treated for the broken nose.

You dropped by the café on your return trip to the place you were staying. The drinks you ordered were prepared quickly. For you, you picked your favorite. As for the General’s drink, you simply selected what he had ordered the previous time—hold the cream, add some ginger. The two cups were placed into a carrier, which you used to balance them and prevent a spill; the bag with the two books you had dangling from your arm. The weather was still holding up for you, though you could see incoming clouds. The calls for light rain in the evening seemed less farfetched as the day went on; originally you had called bullshit. No nighttime strolls for you.

The closer you arrived to General Hux’s room, the more your stomach was churning and heart was racing. What if he sent you away? You wouldn’t be able the blame him at all. Worse, what if the doctor hadn’t been able to heal him as quickly as you had believed? Treatments like that were expensive, and—you told yourself to stop worrying.

Lifting one hand away from the drink carrier, you rapped the door. From within you could hear a sigh and then a summons to enter. His nose _sounded_ better based on that alone.

You opened the door, your footsteps less sure though you attempted to keep up your level of confidence. You were trying to do the right thing here. Blue-green eyes flickered to your face then dropped down to the drink carrier. General Hux pursed his lips. His nose looked as though it had been fixed, however the black eyes were not gone. “You needn’t worry,” General Hux drawled. The man gestured you closer and took his caf the moment you were within reach. “Accidents do occur. I am aware why you kept quiet, though I do not approve of the reasoning given that proper protocol was not observed on your part.”

“I’m really sorry, General,” you said, dropping your free hand into the bag to retrieve his book. You felt your face get a little hot. “Uhm, another part of the apology.”

“Hmm.” His face was passive as ever. The redhead accepted the novel from you, turning it over and glancing over the back. “Skeleton Whore.” As though testing the title. “Is this about a necrophliac?”

“No,” you said, rolling your eyes and sighing in exasperation. It then occurred to you that you had never read the novel; you were reminded that you only _wanted_ to. Your heart nearly skipped a beat, and there was a fluttering in your stomach. You blinked once then felt your eyes widen a bit. “I _hope_ it isn’t!”

“Charming,” General Hux said, his voice still dismissive. “It would give boning a whole new meaning, wouldn’t it?” Your lips parted and your eyebrows rose. You were too stunned to laugh, though the joke was not lost on you at all. “For the record: setting the sex toy underneath the blanket or pillow would have been just as effective.”

“Y-yeah. That skipped my mind,” you said, bobbing your head a few times. You discarded the drink carrier in a trash bin that was inside his room. Holding your drink, you sipped on it and allowed your eyes to roam around. General Hux was also enjoying his beverage. His gaze had returned to the novel in his hand. “Now I’m terrified to read it.”

“You purchased a copy for yourself?” He looked up, directly at you, when he spoke. You nodded, apprehension again building in case he disproved of this fact. “It will be interesting to discuss.”

You felt, perhaps, a little _too_ giddy at his words.


	4. To Catch a Mouse, Get a Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delays in updating. Headaches and migraines have been troublesome again.

 

** Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger **  
_Four_  
To Catch a Mouse, Get a Cat

Vacations did not last forever. On that same note, yours hadn’t quite ended. You were intent on enjoying the remainder of it as much as was possible. You had started to read your copy of the novel you had purchased for General Hux, and you had also become rather involved in a holoseries. The latter you were not entirely certain as to whether or not it fell under something that would be approved by the First Order. There was always the chance that you would be punished for becoming involved in it. It was more likely that you would simply be unable to finish the series. That was a part of life though.

Some may have found it odd that the series revolved around war. After all, wouldn’t you be tired of war and fighting? The fact that it was fictional was appealing though. Characters you could relate to, and others that you hoped would die. It made you feel better _because_ they were fictional.

General Hux’s poor timing persisted. He entered the room you were staying during a sex scene. You pinched the bridge of his nose, assuring the man, who was in the process of retreating, that you were not watching porn. Turning back around, General Hux blinked a single time. He then uttered out the name of the program. This caused you to perk up, hopeful that it wasn’t anything banned by the First Order.

“Supreme Leader once informed me it was something I should watch to better appreciate Kylo Ren’s presence.” That made perfect sense to you; the battles were likely similar to those the Master of the Knights of Ren fought. Close-combat. Weapons the General would find to be primitive, especially in comparison with his Starkiller Base. “I did not get very far. Is it any good?”

“I’m enjoying it,” you replied, accepting the cup of caf that he offered you. The two of you had agreed to discuss the first ten chapters of the book, albeit later in the day. It seemed he wanted to be early. Was he eager to discuss the book, or for your company? “I’m going to finish this episode first, if you don’t mind.”

The man did not respond aloud. He walked over to the lone chair that was in the room and took a seat there. General Hux’s eyes were drawn to the holoprojector. You smiled a little as you also watched the remainder of the episode. The pair of you drank your caf in—not quite silence due to the sound of the series. Yet neither of you spoke, and it was somehow comfortable. There was much to be said in that. You could remember a few of your superiors where it was uncomfortable to have them in the same room as you. Stars, one in particular had nearly made you request a transfer.

When the episode came to its end, you reached forward to power down the device. General Hux remained where he was seated until this was done. Afterwards, the redhead stood and crossed his arms behind his back. Tilting his head to the side, he began:

“There are quite a lot of politics in the novel.”

You nodded thrice. “I was thinking there would be some, but hadn’t realized how much. It’s good at remaining neutral though. And it isn’t too vulgar either.”

“Did you suspect that the butler would be murdered?” You shook your head as your eyes widened. It was one of the few cover-ups you had felt almost dirty reading about. You had _liked_ the character of the butler. Apparently he had seen too much, however, and had become a liability.

You licked your lips before speaking. “I hadn’t thought she would team up with the governor either though. I don’t like him. He’s such an ass.” General Hux chuckled, the sound rich to your ears.

“What need did you have for the app?” he asked curiously. You felt your breath still. It wasn’t something you had discussed with him or anyone, why you had chosen to make a profile. “I don’t mean to say that meeting someone agreeable is an easy task. There are handfuls of individuals who are greeted solely with disappointment.” You found yourself nodding slightly, your head bobbing the entire time he spoke. “I had no interest in forming a relationship with anyone. You intrigued me. Not simply what you said, but _how_ you said it. You’re open to discussions and debates. For instance, I quite like the governor’s character. And I strongly believe that you were aware of this, yet are comfortable enough to accept my disagreeing with you. You were willing to open yourself up to my disapproving of your opinion. It’s refreshing, to be frank.”

“You’re… You are a lot like the portions of your profile that was set up for you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” It was one, and so you did not argue or make further comments that would dissuade him. “I would not have you transferred, if indeed that is a genuine reservation.”

Being dick-slapped with your dildo had apparently not ended his interest in you. You were flattered in a way. However part of you was also wishing he wouldn’t have said anything regarding the matter. Frankly, you were uncertain if you would be open to pursuing something with him. As much as he said that you would not have to fear a transfer, having relations with him would complicate things. The way your peers would view you for one. Secondly, if things did fall apart and you _weren’t_ transferred, it would be awkward working under him.

“I…”

“It would not be much different than now. I am not pressing for sex—I believe that had been my intention before. I simply wish to take you on a proper date to discuss such options. If you choose to reject me—be it now or after that first date—there are no repercussions.”

Once more you hardly had an answer. It was so easy to reject him that first time. You had essentially been stood up, and then General Hux had wanted to date you because he had invaded your privacy by reading messages that hadn’t been meant for him. Meeting with him on the beach had been circumstances bringing the two of you together. It had been comfortable, each of you relaxing in your own ways. This would not be convenience nor emotional for you. It would be thinking long-term. Weighing pros and cons. _Did_ you want to go on even a first date with the man?

He did like books. And supposedly he liked cats as well. You mulled that over for a moment before asking:

“Cats?” General Hux grunted out a _hmm?_ Repeating the word, you followed it up with a question: do you like them? A single nod was your response, as well as the man furrowing his brow. Here he had asked you for a date and you were questioning him about felines. Of course he would be confused. “It’s a huge requirement for me. I love cats.”

You didn’t know why you had said that. It had never been a _requirement_. You did not want to admit that you were growing more curious about him though. Not out loud at least. The fact that you were asking about him should be hint enough.

Rather than commenting again, the man lifted his caf to his lips and took a drink. You bit down on the insides of your cheeks, moving your lips from side to side. He had a very good sabacc face. You decided to mimic him and raised your cup as well. Narrowed your eyes a little. His jaw twitched; you caught the way his cheeks shifted, as though he were smirking behind the cup that was blocking his mouth from your view. The flavor of the caf distracted you a little. It was good. Ginger. You hadn’t thought you would like it, yet it brought out all the other flavors.

“Millicent.” You blinked twice then knit your brow. “My cat’s name is Millicent.”

Cue you choking on your caf. Some of the dark liquid slipped past your lips onto your chin as you recovered.

He had a cat! You set down your cup of caf, swiping your arm along your chin to wipe away the liquid that remained there. How graceful you weren’t. But, a cat!

“You have a cat?” you repeated, trying to ignore the fact that his eyes were sweeping along your chin. You did not need this sort of judgment from him. The man had caught you off guard. General Hux nodded. “I’ve never heard anything about that.”

“It’s hardly anyone’s business unless they are assisting in her care,” the redhead said in a matter-of-fact tone. _There_ your strict General was. “Perhaps I’ll introduce the pair of you.”

Your heart hiccupped in your chest at the prospect. You had seen cats here and there, however it had been quite some time since you had been able to spend much time with one. Growing up you had once had a loth-cat named Tula. They were cute creatures, and you remembered that whenever you had had a bad day, Tula curled up at your side to help comfort you. Perhaps Millicent did the same for the redhead. His could be a stressful job what with all the responsibilities that fell on the General’s shoulders.

Though you had yet to answer his proposal, the redhead did not press for an answer. It was something you were grateful for. He seemed to know and understand that you were weighing your options.

The man you had been speaking with on the dating app was _not_ the individual before you. It was starting all over. Awkward. Frustrating. In-person, which you weren’t entirely ready for in some respects. There was a part of you that still regretted that this man was, for some reason, attracted to you. Another part that enjoyed his company. Now that you knew he had a cat, you sort of wanted to steal her. Date him just to get access to his cat. What sort of person were you? _A cat lover!_ your mind shouted at you.

Plus, it was not as though you would force a romance between the pair of you simply to play with his cat. Try your hand at one? Certainly. Yet you respected both yourself and your General too much to keep up a façade of liking someone romantically when in reality you did not feel such things for them. In this case, it was a matter of allowing him a chance to romance you because he had a cat. Plenty did such things for lesser reasons. Money being a frequent motivator.

“Describe what…” You paused, licked your lips, and started again. “You say a date wouldn’t be much different than this?”

“You needn’t dress up if you do not wish. We can pick a more common establishment. If you wish for something more luxurious, I am willing to treat you there as well. No pressures for sexual favors. Our conversations will likely be the same as now—books, occasional politics, nothing very different at all.”

It was appealing. In fact, far better than the responses you had received from the man who had ultimately stood you up. It also left you with the question as to, if you did accept, which sort of date you would prefer. Common? Luxurious? Somewhere between? You knew that you would want something more than caf. The pair of you had already enjoyed that twice now.

“Even if I picked something luxurious, I probably wouldn’t have the right clothes. I don’t have _your_ salary, General.” Hux hummed, the man discarding his emptied caf cup in the nearby trash bin. “Nice but not _too_ nice?”

“You’re accepting then?”

“Sure.”

“It’s because I told you about my cat, isn’t it?”

Your eyebrows rose, but you did not lie. “Probably.” He only grinned in response.


	5. Rather Eye-Catching

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**   
_Five_  
Rather Eye-Catching

You knelt on the ground before the dresser in which you had previously unpacked the clothing you had brought on the trip with you. At current you were naked. Which underwear did you want to wear on the date? There were three dresses laid out on the bed behind you. You still were unsure which of them you would decide on. As for the underwear… You narrowed your eyes. He had liked the Imperial thong, hadn’t he? But, your mind supplied instantly, there was a large chance that he would not be seeing your panties at the end of the date. You did not want to seem easy. Stars, you had agreed on the date after a lot of hesitation—why would you jump into bed with him?

_Countertops are also fun._ You mentally slapped yourself, your hand too busy pulling out the thong and matching bra.

The man _was_ attractive after all. It only made sense that you would keep your options open. Not to mention that the set was comfortable. That had been the main reason you had purchased it. The brand was one of your favorites. You shimmied into the set, first your panties and then the bra. As you were clipping the bra, you turned around and faced the bed to inspect the three dresses. One was the red dress you had worn previously. Pinching your lips together, you decided against it; it would not due to give General Hux the impression that you owned only that dress—even if he _did_ enjoy staring at your cleavage when you wore it.

You eyeballed the two dresses that were left to you. One allowed as much cleavage to be shown as the red dress, while the other had a lower back. Deciding that he had had ample time to stare at your breasts already, you selected the dress with the lower back for the date with General Hux. You swooped it below your feet in order to step in then slowly began to draw it up the length of your body. Once dressed, you replaced the other two pieces in the closet, hanging them so that they would not be ruined. You picked up a pair of shoes that went well with the dress you wore before closing the door to the closet.

You walked over to the mirror to see the results of all your work. Your hair looked nice, though not too fancy. Your outfit was on point. You raised your chin, a rather smug smile crossing your features.

_This is how you felt right before you got stood up,_ your mind, cruel as ever, shot. You visibly winced, your reflection displaying your grimace. You wrapped your arms around yourself to rub against he Goosebumps that were forming. Your stomach had started to churn. The thing was that you largely doubted General Hux was the type to stand someone up, especially given that he had ensured all those involved in the scam had been taken care of. Not to mention the fact that he had been practically chasing after you ever since.

Those facts hardly lessened the harsh sting of reality that you had recently been played and made a fool of. Trying to tell yourself to stop being ridiculous, that you had enjoyed his company the past few days and he had enjoyed yours as well, made you feel pathetic.

You turned your back on the mirror. There was not much more time before General Hux was set to arrive, and you had no desire to work yourself up to where you were in tears by the time he did get there. There was no use to be frustrated over something that had already been taken care of, something you had no control over.

In the time before you heard that telltale knock on the door, you managed to calm yourself enough to where you no longer felt any urge to cry or scream. You picked up your purse, walked to the door, and opened it. Your eyes swept along the redhead’s body. He was not wearing his uniform, though his attire was still rather formal and, as usual, included black pants. His shirt, on the other hand, was a light blue that caused his eyes to really pop. You could feel your eyebrows raise a little as you took him in. He looked _good_.

_Countertop works. Bed works. This hallway right here would be fine._

The redhead was not saying anything in response to your ogling; he, too, was enjoying the moment of allowing his eyes to roam along your body. “You have exceptional taste,” he said, which caused your eyes to land on his face. There was something intense in his gaze; a different sort of intensity than what you were accustomed to seeing from him. It was more carnal, and you found yourself suppressing the urge to shudder.

“Thank you, Gen—“

“Armitage,” he said, lips twitching in unconcealed amusement.

You felt yourself returning the smile, relieved that he was allowing you to use his first name for this occasion. Though you did not wish for things to change between the two of you in some respects, it was admittedly awkward to be in public—on a date especially—while using his title or last name. Far too formal for your tastes given the current situation.

“Thank you, Armitage,” you said once more.

He took a step back, gesturing with his hand for you to take a step forward. As you did so, General Hux moved to walk alongside you. He fell back a step, and you felt pleased with the fact that he was looking at the exposed portions of your back. The neckline ended directly above your bra—perhaps you would have to purchase a dress that dipped even lower. Or wear nothing at all.

It was not that you were desperate for sex either; there was simply something in the moment that having his attention on you made you feel more like a woman. Perhaps it had everything to do with having been stood up the other day. You had been feeling insecure, and the fact that General Hux could not keep his eyes off of you made you feel valid.

“We may be a little early for our reservation, however I did not wish for our walk to be rushed.” You ran your tongue along your lips to wet them prior to offering a single _oh_ to indicate that you were listening. You enjoyed that he had thought ahead this way. Attempting to brisk walk in your current shoes would leave your feet aching.

When the two of you reached the door, General Hux took a step forward and opened it for you. You paused, blinking twice as you considered his manners. You flashed him a small, shy smile and once more began walking. The redhead accepted your expression with a dip of his chin. He waited until you were three steps forward before moving to again join you, the door closing behind him. The pair of you inhaled the fresh air of the outdoors together. You tilted back your head, drawing in an excess amount of the air into your lungs. This was something you would miss while on the Star Destroyer.

The breeze was warm, each caress of it further relaxing you. The man had been correct when he had told you that it would not be different than things had been the past few days. You did not feel any obligation to act a certain way with him. No forced hand-hold, nor any uncomfortable, awkward banter. The pair of you were able to be with one another with moments of silence that were natural.

As he had promised, General Hux had allowed you to select the sort of place you would be taken on your date. You had opted for something not entirely fancy though still on the higher end. You wanted it to feel like a date without there being too much pressure; plus, just like you had informed him, you did not have a dress that would be better suited for specific restaurants.

The restaurant at which he had made reservations was in walking distance; this was in part to allow the two of you time to enjoy the air. It would also provide you with a means to escape if you needed to. He had assured you that you were free to leave at any time if you became uncomfortable.

Its distance was approximately the same as the café, albeit in the opposite direction. You had not been able to fully appreciate the view in this area. Thus your eyes were constantly darting about to take in the sights.

One thing you noticed before you registered that the two of you had arrived at the restaurant was the shop that was to its right. You bit down on your bottom lip, feeling your eyes narrowing. This man was not the individual with whom you had conversed on the chat. He was more of an enigma than that man had been, not quite as forthcoming though still honest. Given that he had walked in on you masturbating and had started to leave when he had believed you were watching porn, you could not help but wonder what his tastes were.

The shop would be a nice way to discover these things, your mind told you.

“How much time do we have?” you asked, keeping your voice level as you turned to regard your date. General Hux’s eyes sought out a timepiece, and he replied that there were still nearly twenty minutes before your reservations. “Mm. I’d like to go in here.” You pointed in the direction with a jab of your thumb.

General Hux lifted his eyes to the shop. His expression remained neutral. No surprise, nothing. Perhaps he thought you were some sexual deviant.

_And yet he is keen on dating you._ A pregnant pause in your thoughts wherein you were not aware of all that went on around you. _He wants a freak in bed. That’s why he’s dating you. Even after the dildo. He was thinking: get me a freak like that._

Coming back into reality, you found that the red-haired man had his lips quirked to the side. His eyes were running up and down your face. How long had you kept him waiting? You cleared your throat, smiled pleasantly, and nearly sighed in relief when the man chose to not comment but instead stepped in the direction of the shop. You happily followed him.

The interior of the shop was dimly lit; enough light to see where everything was and what they were, but nothing too gaudy given the nature of the store. It suggested something sensual without being overtly risqué. A funny thought given the display of dildos that were set up beside a stand that held several assortments of handcuffs and other bindings. There were spreader bars on the far wall towards the back. A few whips, though these were locked behind glass. Your eye traveled over to another display case. Many of the toys in the shop you had never used though you were familiar with them due to your reading, watching movies, and—well, yes, you did watch porn on occasion. Most of the porn available to you was too obnoxious, however, and so you rarely explored that particular section of holovids.

Looking over at the two of you from her position at the cashier register, the clerk gave a brief nod and muttered that she would be with you if you needed anything. You assured her that you were fine, simply browsing.

You waited for Hux to continue to take the lead, however he failed to do so. The man instead turned to consider you, a single eyebrow raised in expectation. “See anything you like?” you blurted out for want of _anything_ to say at all.

“Are you going to buy something for me?” he drawled without a moment’s hesitation. Your face felt hot at that. Nostrils flaring as you exhaled, you turned your head this way and that to consider the inventory. “Or perhaps you’re wondering what you can throw at me next?”

“That was an accident,” you grumbled, scowling and taking a step away from him. His light tone had suggested that he was only teasing, yet you did feel poorly about the incident. _This may have been a stupid idea._

“And you?” his voice came from behind, prompting you to look over your shoulder at him. “Do you see anything you like?”

This time you raise an eyebrow. “Are _you_ going to buy something for me?”

“Perhaps I would.” You felt your tongue slide against your cheek, pressing at it as you thought of a response. Your eyes traveled about the shop once more. Feeling rather emboldened, you pointed in the direction of a strap on. A strangled noise left the man. You felt rather accomplished, perking up and standing straighter. “Is this a genuine interest?”

“Are you intimidated, Gen…Armitage?” you asked, feeling a bit impish.

The man drew closer to you, closing some of the distance that you had previously placed. He cocked his head to the side whilst offering a half-shrug. “It is not something I have considered—I am uncertain how I would feel entertaining such a possibility.”

He was clearly comfortable discussing sex, and the man was not disgusted that there was a possibility your interest in the strap on had been genuine. That was a good sign.

You walked through the shop, General Hux keeping pace with you and allowing you to browse without making any judgmental comments. A number of the toys that caught your eye you doubted you would ever use. Still, it was fun to think about them, to see them in person. In your peripheral, you had begun to notice that your date observed you—your facial expressions—more than he did the merchandise. You finished perusing when he informed you that it would be prudent to move to the restaurant lest your reservations be given to someone else due to tardiness. You offered the clerk a quick wave of farewell, which she returned, and then followed the man out the door and into the neighboring building.

The table was readied immediately, the surface having just been scrubbed to ensure proper cleanliness. General Hux pulled your chair out for you though the maitre d’ had initially moved to do so. You thanked him, lowered yourself onto the seat, and waited for the man to take his place across from you. As he did, the maitre d’ set down the menu, a single sheet that had only a small list to choose from and no prices visible, and informed the two of you that the waiter would be with you shortly.

“Uhm…” Those blue-green orbs landed on your face as your wide eyes flew to his. “This place is nicer than I expected.” Your heart was hammering in your chest, its beat echoing in your ears.

The redhead drew back, the man relaxed in his chair as he offered an air of understanding. “The menu is smaller due to the chef specializing in certain cuisines. The prices are less than a number of other restaurants.”

“How much is less?” you inquired, wincing a moment later at the realization that your question was possibly quite rude. “I’m sorry.”

“You would technically be able to afford it if you were the one paying. I factored that into deciding which establishment to select.” You nodded, your head bobbing a few times. “It’s directly beside an adult toy shop—it is hardly the most high end restaurant around.”

“Okay, true,” you said, wrinkling your nose. “Unless you want to dine then whine, if you catch my drift.”

“I always considered moaning more endearing.”

You shrugged, once more pleased that he was comfortable with your more sex-oriented jokes. “Some people like begging.” He hummed—a sound that was quite like agreement. You had drawn the menu closer to yourself as you spoke in order to see what foods were offered. All of it made your mouth water though there were no pictures on the menu. “Ooo. They even have dessert!”

“And here I was thinking _that’s_ what the shop next door was for.” You snorted when your laughed, which had you covering your face with your hand. “Perhaps if dinner goes well, I can show you what things did catch my eye there.”

Your mouth went dry, a strange sort of pulsing sensation buzzing around in your head.

For being someone you initially did not wish to date, he was quite enjoyable in many regards. The man definitely knew how to keep you on your toes.

But, you were plenty playful as well.

“Perhaps if it does, you’ll see which things caught mine.” His Adam’s apple bobbed.


	6. A Dash of Salt

 

** Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger **  
_Six_  
A Dash of Salt

The waiter arrived at the table long enough to take an order for the drinks both you and Hux would be enjoying; the man offered to allow another few minutes to elapse during which time you could make a choice as to which entrée you would select. You felt as though you were hogging the menu, however you were having a difficult time picking despite the small number of choices. You set down the menu so that your date was able to see it was well, pushing the slip with two fingers so that it was at an angle that suited the both of you. General Hux tilted his head to the side to better view the list. By the time the waiter returned, you still had not yet made a selection. Sensing that the man across from you had, however, you placed your finger upon one of the menu items at random. Your eyes flicked to where you were pointing, and you were not disappointed with what had been selected to be your dinner.

Feeling rather pleased with yourself, you sat back and listened as the redhead verbally gave his order to the waiter. The drinks that he had previously placed in front of either of you next drew your attention. You drew your drink closer to yourself, taking a small sip.

As the waiter walked away from the table with the food order, General Hux also brought his drink to where he could taste it. His eyes, meanwhile, were on you. You idly wondered if he had known that you had not technically been prepared to order yet. The result was favorable, so you hardly believed it mattered—unless he took this to reflect on your work ethics, which it did not, not to you. Your minor worries were eliminated when next he spoke.

“You are ever ready to tackle new things I see.” There was a sort of lilt to his voice, unmistakable praise. You felt heat seep into your body, running along your face and down your neck. “Given how drawn you were to various toys in the shop, I cannot help but wonder how far this extends.”

You quirked a single eyebrow, allowing a sultry smile to play on your lips. There was no need for a verbal answer to tease him. Your expression alone caused his lips to part, his chest rising and falling in a deep breath. How long had it been since he had dated—since he had had sex? He seemed so keen on watching you, on appraising your body.

It was not as though you were going to ask him outright. The man would likely be offended by such an inquiry. Toying with him some more, especially while eating; that you _could_ do without ruining the mood. You pinched the straw to your drink between your forefinger and thumb, lightly stirring around the ice cubes. Those blue-green orbs fell to your glass. “Have you ever toyed with temperature play?” you asked when the thought presented itself.

“You have a rather curious fascination with sex,” the man murmured. Your actions ceased though the ice cubes continued to rotate a few times more in your glass.

_This was a stupid idea. He probably thinks **I’m** desperate._

You transferred your attention to a different table, opting to people watch. “Perhaps that was rude of me.” You shrugged, a stiff _it’s fine_ leaving your lips; you did not return your gaze to him nor to the table you shared. You had believed sex was a topic the two of you enjoyed equally—did he think you were easy now? Some sex addict. The man was hardly open about his interests, and you did not want to monopolize another conversation. You had been half-hoping _he_ would bring something up. A couple at several tables over was staring at one another lovingly. You passively wondered if they were married, not that it mattered. “It was a deflection—I am not entirely certain how much of my…personal taste…that I wish to share with you just yet.”

You were chewing on the inside of your cheek. Leaning back in your chair, you exhaled through your nose and allowed your eyes to roll towards your date. Though the man was attempting to keep face, you could see the way his eyes darted about you. He was worried, genuinely apologetic. It would be petty of you to not forgive him the minor indiscretion, yet you still felt vulnerable over the situation that had brought the pair of you together. As if he could sense this, General Hux lowered his stare to your glass again. If you were not ready to completely forgive him, however, you were willing to throw him a bone.

“You’re not exactly forthcoming about alternative topics of conversation. Something where _I’m_ not the main one speaking.”

“I enjoy listening to you,” he said. You fell silent. Was the man simply being polite? Or was this him being dismissive again? “It is possibly a force of habit due to my position that I am private and reluctant to open in the way you seem to be wanting.”

“Yeah,” you said, the word rolling off your tongue as again you occupied with the other patrons in the restaurant. This was the awkwardness you had feared in agreeing to date the man. You had previously been informed you could leave at any time. You could walk out right this instant. All the steaminess that had begun to build from the first part of your date had more than simmered. It had had an ocean poured onto it, and now you were feeling salty.

_I should leave. I should really kriffing leave—ah, stars, the food is coming._

You drew back from the table enough so that the plate containing your food could be set down in front of you. General Hux acted similarly. You picked up your napkin, placed it into your lap, and then lifted your silverware. No words were spoken between the two of you as you each took the first bite. It was delicious, the meat feeling as though it were melting in your mouth. You closed your eyes, savoring it all. You were thankful you had stayed, and at the same time you were wondering if you should offer to pay for your part of the meal.

“Would you like to try a bite?” your date asked with a gesture towards his plate. Your gaze flicked to where he was pointing as you shook your head. You pinched your lips together tightly to keep from saying anything. General Hux replaced his dinnerware on the table. You resisted the urge to huff in annoyance because you knew what was coming. “I did not mean to offend you. What I said was inappropriate. You were being polite, keeping the conversation going, and—“

“Let’s just eat,” you said softly, stabbing the prongs of your fork into more of the meat. Right now the man was not with you in the capacity of your superior officer. He could not tell you what to do nor how to feel. You had every right to be offended by his words, by his reluctance to be at least a little more open with you. _He_ had been the one pursuing you.

“My private interests in bed are not something I can easily explore as I have not much time to indulge,” he said, his voice stiff as though he loathed he was revealing this. You fixed him with a cold stare, allowing the man to continue. “Your inquiries play along with fantasies I have had though I admit that I am not so well versed with their specifics. When I have set aside a few minutes to…relieve my urges, it is generally alone or with another in a closet. Five or six minutes tops. Not enough time to fully ‘let go’ as some would put it. Your familiarity with matters in sex is, frankly, intimidating when I consider that you may be dissatisfied with my inexperience.”

You had not realized that your breathing had paused until you released a shaky _oh_ and found yourself gulping in air the next moment. You were at a loss as to how to respond to him, where to go from there. Setting down your fork so that it was draped over the edge of your plate in a way that would not allow it to fall—the meat still skewered on its tip—you set your fingers against your lips. How _were_ you to take this? The man was intimidated by your knowledge of sex even though you believed you were far from well versed in numerous kinks and positions that your peers spoke of when around you. It was not as though General Hux was sheltered. Then again, your brain decided to remind you, this _was_ the man who wore his _uniform_ on the beach.

“I…haven’t explored a lot of things myself,” you admitted upon realizing that his eyes were once more nervously flickering about your face. “I’ve read of them. And…well, I mean…what with Sta—the, uhm, base…” You paused to look around, ensuring that no one was eavesdropping. The _last_ thing you wanted was to ignorantly reveal the existence of Starkiller Base to the Resistance via any member or spy that may be present. “I assumed you might be familiar with temperature play because of the rumors.”

“How some, during training, use bodily warmth to survive the cold?” he said, his shoulders visibly relaxing from their previous tense position. You hummed in affirmation. “Those are mostly rumors. I do not doubt some have indulged or taken advantage of others in such a way, however I have personally seen no such reports. As I stated, closets.”

As you began to speak again, you found that you could not meet his eye. Your cheeks felt rather flush, and you wondered if he could tell how embarrassed you were to admit such things aloud. “My…first time—it was during winter, and I was outside. I don’t know, I mean, I cannot remember what led to it. Not completely. His warm body on top of me, and the cold snow underneath. I felt like I was going to explode. Both in pain and pleasure. Bloodied snow from my virginity. That is the extent of temperature play for me. It was overwhelming. I couldn’t stop shaking either. He was…gentle though. Afterwards he bundled me in his jacket, and we went inside for some caf. So, I guess the idea that you did things like that on Star…the base—it’s stupid, I’m sorry.”

There was no response from him. Silence. You winced then made a quick glance at his face. Immediately your gaze flew back to him. His lips were parted and there was a faint flush in his cheeks. Arousal. Your story had aroused him, which was not exactly what you had been intending. His Adam’s apple bobbed as it had when you had teased him in regards to what toys had caught your eye in the shop. You were thankful that you had not opted to run away from the date when faced with that awkwardness that had been created out of nervousness from the both of you.

“You wondered if I—you thought of me doing that on…” His tongue traced his lips, the man reaching for his water glass that had been brought along with the drink he had ordered.

“Not so explicitly,” you explained. “But, yes. You were comfortable enough in the shop. The idea came when I was stirring the ice cubes. So when you reacted that way, I just…” You shrugged, as though that described fully your hurt and discomfort. You understood more where he had been coming from, and so you hardly faulted him for his insensitive comment.

When the two of you next took bites from your respective meals, it was with a more comfortable air surrounding you. You still declined to taste his food; you wanted to fully savor the meal that you had selected. You did offer him a bite, and he accepted, the ginger haired man commenting his approval. As though he was warming to you in his own way, General Hux offered a small account of his first time without going into the full details. It had involved much secrecy on his part. The possibility of being caught. Due to this, the fact that he used closets and was quick hardly bothered him in any of his more recent dalliances.

You were thankful that he was at last taking initiative in the conversations, being the one to do the majority of the talking. The waiter checked on how things were going twice, and both times either you or Hux responded that you were enjoying the food. When asked whether or not you would be having dessert, you had wrinkled your nose the slightest bit, prompting your date to chuckle and say that the two of you were full and would skip it this time.

He did not allow you to see the check, which caused you to smile a little. You sipped on your drink until the meal was paid for, and then rose along with the man. General Hux opened the door to the restaurant for you. You immediately stepped towards the shop next door only to pause in your steps. It was closed. The redhead clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, a noise of disappointment leaving him.

“Well…darn,” you said, looking about yourself for something else to do.

“Hmm.” You felt a ghosting touch on your hip that left before the hand could make full contact, as though the owner of the limb had thought it would be inappropriate. “Perhaps a stroll on the beach?”

 _Why not?_ you thought, deciding that all things considered the date was going well. You made a gesture that indicated he was to the lead the way. Walking side-by-side, the two of you set off to the beach, which was not that far off.

The moment you were met with sand, you removed your shoes, dangling them from your fingers and enjoying the feel underneath your toes. The light breeze was welcoming, and there was enough lighting that you could enjoy the view. Only a handful of other people were present. All were out of earshot, which kept you comfortable.

“This is nice,” you said, tilting back your head as a fresh breeze shifted through your hair. “Thank you, Armitage.”

“I worried that it would not be salvageable following the…blunder.”

You looked over your shoulder at him. “Part of me was screaming to leave.” He paused though he had obviously sensed that this had been so. “I’m glad that I didn’t. Don’t worry. Maybe I’m a little too sensitive, but I think I’m allowed to be with all things considered.”

“I suppose I should have been more sensitive to this,” the redhead conceded.

You turned just as the man started to step forward again. He began to apologize when your body crashed into his. You grabbed his tie, tugging at it, yanking his face to where your lips slammed against his. It was a sloppy kiss, his face hitting lightly into yours, though it was still a little painful. You ignored the pain however. You pulled away a moment later, the man’s jaw dropped and his eyes glued to you, your every move. You spun a little on your heel, nearly skipping with your first step as you resumed your walk along the beach.

Your shoes swung back and forth, and you were wondering when the man would start forward again. He clearly had _not_ been expecting you to kiss him. That was how you liked it. You did not want to be predictable. Especially not to a man whom you had respected on a professional level for years now. He was different in person in some regards, yet overall he was as you had imagined. Never would you have thought, though, that you would be matched with him on a dating app. Even if it had been all an accident.

When you did hear movement, it was not of pursuit. This caused you to look over your shoulder, and you smirked to yourself upon discovering he was removing his shoes. His eyes were on your body.

_Should I run?_

You did not know if he would think it juvenile, or if he would enjoy chasing you. Your heart was hammering in your chest. If only the beach had been fully empty. Then again, you thought, sand was not quite like snow. It would be highly uncomfortable and difficult to get out of places it had no business being.

You turned around in full, doing a pretend half-jog backwards while watching him. He snorted, the man offering a sly grin. “Perhaps you _should_ run.”

“Knowing my luck as it’s been on this vacation, I’d step on some piece of glass someone carelessly left behind. Would rather _not_ have the hospital be our last stop.”

“Hmm. I suppose that is reasonable.”

He had started to walk forward, albeit allowing you to keep a sort of lead on him as though the chase was proceeding in slow motion. You were caught off guard when he lunged forward. He caught you, dragging you down onto the sand. His mouth was on your neck, light kisses and nips causing your toes to curl as you gasped for air that had been knocked out of your lungs the moment you had hit the ground.

_Kriff, we’re rutting like teenagers._

It was true. You had wrapped your legs around the man’s waist, and he was rolling his hips into yours. You could feel his cock beginning to strain against his pants, pushing at you. You wondered if he could tell how wet he was making you. Rough grains of sand dug into your exposed flesh, yet you hardly were aware of this at the time. You were too busy once more grabbing hold of his tie, using it to urge his mouth onto yours. One of his hands slipped beneath your dress. You felt it at the edges of your panties, and—

“If you get sand in my underwear,” you hissed, causing the man to pause. He panted above you, clearly listening to your threat. “I will this will end _now_. I do _not_ want sand in my vagina.”

“You want to be on top?” he asked without a moment’s hesitation.

 _Stars,_ you thought, staring up at the man with wide eyes. _It’s been a while for him, hasn’t it?_

“Uh…uhm….” Sobering, the man released a swear under his breath and apologized for assuming things. You did want him—Maker did you want him; and yet you did not want to jump his bone just yet. “For, uhm, most of my longer lasting relationships, I didn’t exactly ‘put out’ on the first date.”

That being said, you had yet to unwind your legs from him. The rutting, however, had slowed. General Hux rocked his hips into yours at a leisurely pace. He propped himself up on his forearms, his fingers trailing along the side of your face and into your hair. The man whispered to you, asking you to reach into his pocket—here you barked out a laugh that you could not contain. Chuckling, he continued, informing you that he wished you to look at something on his private mini datapad. It was a model roughly only five inches big, something most used for light reading, pictures, and checking basic messages. You humored him, holding the item between two fingers and wiggling it back and forth in front of his face.

General Hux whispered the passcode to you between kisses to your neck. You hummed to yourself, tapping on the screen and following directions as he told you which folder to go into, which file to open.

“Oh. My. Maker.” You released a girlish squeal of delight that would have embarrassed you had you been fully aware that it had escaped. “She’s so cuuuuuute! Awwww!”

The little ginger tabby stared up at whoever had been taking the picture. You imagined it was the man atop you, her owner. Her eyes were a similar color as Hux’s. You zoomed in on them, cooing for a second time. The redhead atop you had ceased kissing you, the man resting his forehead on your shoulder.

“I am going to steal her.”

“Oh?” He tilted his head, locking gazes with you until you returned your eyes to the picture. You gaze a firm nod. “You really _are_ dating me for my cat, is that it?”

You gave a flirtatious smile, rolled onto your stomach, and sighed in contentment when he brushed sand away from the exposed portions of your back. He settled against you without putting his weight on you. The man seemed to be considering, in alteration, your face and the picture of his pet. You started to scroll through the file folder when given permission. You were gushing over the pictures he had taken of Millicent.

“Would you like to know what had caught my eye, or are you content enough looking at pictures?”

“I want to know,” you said, knowing he was speaking of the shop. All the same, you flicked over to the next image, your lips forming around a silent _oh my gosh!_

General Hux curled one of his arms so that he could touch your arm, his hand near your wrist. You shuddered at the contact. “The restraints. To keep you from squirming or running away. Having my way with you.”

You released an inaudible _ooo_ , your body responding to his words and the husky tone he had used.

“And you?”

You smiled upon hearing the anticipation in his voice. “Me?” you asked, feigning innocence. The only response you received was a shuddering exhale from him. You looked at one picture more, allowing the silence to linger and the suspense to build for him. “The restraints,” you said. “Because I think you have a hard time letting go of control.” The tip of his nose ghosted along your cheek. “I did wonder passively about the ball-gag as well, but I like your voice a _lot_. Not that it would muffle your moaning, so it could still work.”

“Are you teasing me?”

“A little,” you admitted. “They did catch my eye for those reasons, but what _really_ stole my attention were the feathers. It seems so basic but fun. Getting the other person to squirm, but having them trust you, that you won’t take it too far. I mean, I would _not_ want to be made to pee from being tickled.” You could feel his body shake as he laughed. “She’s so cute. I am going to steal her. I mean it.”

“Mmm,” your date hummed before pressing his lips to your neck again.


	7. Room for Dessert

 

** Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger **  
_Seven_  
Room for Dessert

The idle thought that spending the entire night on the beach did cross your mind as you continued to lie there underneath the man. His breathing was even. The rise and fall of his chest meant that the material of his shirt caressed your exposed back every few seconds. Remaining on the beach to sleep did, of course, have its downsides. The tiny bugs and other critters that lived in the sand would likely make a meal out of you. The sand itself was presenting the normal issue of causing you to itch every so often. On top of all that, it would leave both of you exposed to any passersby. That included Resistance sympathizers who would more than likely recognize the general. So it was that war put a damper on your vacation.

Those thoughts with it brought also questions as to how things could potentially change once the vacation did end. The man’s words rang through your head: indulge while on vacation. Granted, he had seemed to be hinting that this was something he wished to continue pursuing. Unless this was only due to you having not yet had sex with him.

You frowned at that, silently cursing yourself for thinking of such things. Some people did that though. Men. Women. All genders. If they were only after sex, they were only after sex.

Passing the mini datapad over your shoulder to your date, you remained silent as you felt him shifting. He was putting the device away. His cat was not here on vacation with the two of you. That was something he would show you if he wanted to stay with you longer than simply sex—wasn’t it? It was quite easy to doubt yourself, to doubt those around you. _I’m being overly paranoid right now though._

You rested your chin on the backs of your hands. The man had opened up to you; his insecurities about sex was something that could be used against him in many cases. By those who would want to embarrass or unnerve him. Catch him off-guard. If it was simply sex he desired, being so open with you would have been in poor taste. This allowed your smile to slowly return, and you again relaxed underneath him. While you were not ready to throw all caution to the wind, you were going to stop putting up guards after every subtle change in the course of your date.

“It’s so nice here,” you said softly. General Hux hummed. His elbows were resting in the sand as he propped himself up, and his hands were on your arms. Rubbing up and down, a soothing gesture that threatened to lull you into sleep. “And then we’re going to be stuck on a ship.”

“I quite enjoy them,” he said, his tone proving that his words were genuine. Your grin twisted into one of amusement, and you snorted. “Do you prefer planetary bases?”

There was a pregnant pause. You scrunched up your nose in thought. What was his angle here? Would he look at you differently as an officer if you said that this was so? You enjoyed both for different reasons. You decided to be honest in this.

“Sometimes I do. I like having changes in weather, feeling the breeze. But there’s also something about being on the ship—just looking out and seeing everything. Even the planets. Looking at them, how they seem so large and small at the same time. You miss things no matter where you are. I like traveling. I think that’s one of the reasons I chose the military life.”

This man had been born into it. That was common enough knowledge. Sometimes you wondered how that was, to have your fate chosen for you. Growing up, you had interacted with some who rebelled against the occupations their parents held. Join the family business. Parents guilt-tripping their children. In other cases, there was a strong desire to walk that set path. It was appealing and fulfilling for them.

The weight of his body was lifted from yours. You remained lying on your stomach for a few seconds longer. Listening, all the while, to him brushing himself off. General Hux then helped you to your feet. Your shoes dangled once more from your fingers until you reached the sidewalk. You paused to brush off as much sand as possible, slipped on your heels, and walked beside your date in the direction of the hotel. The silence was comfortable. You could enjoy his company without feeling obligated to speak; which suited you just fine given that your mind was racing over how his lips had felt. This also gave you a sort of preview as to how things would be between you both in the work place. There did _have_ to be anything said or acknowledged. It meant that you could separate the professional and personal. This, in turn, meant you could feel that the relationship, should it continue, had stability.

When the two of you arrived at the hotel, the redhead held the door open for you. You offered him a _thanks_ that was coupled with a smile and entered. He came in after you, drawing up to your side.

Once more your mind was buzzing. _What now? What now? Do I invite him in? Do we go to his room?_

“You’re awfully quiet—should I worry?”

Despite his words, the man did not sound worried in the least. On the contrary, there was a hint of understanding in his tone. His room was first from your location. Your gaze flicked over to his door. You started to chew on your bottom lip, your eyes narrowing. Here it was, the moment of truth. Where you made your decision. The problem was that the man was hard to read. You paused a few feet away, hoping that he would speak up. If he made the move, it would be less awkward…probably.

“Mm. I see.” You could feel your cheeks heating up. His tone was teasing, the way he angled his body even moreso. You found yourself shifting your weight onto one leg and holding onto one arm with the hand of the other. “This is quite the conundrum, isn’t it? Should I invite you in, or should I see if you invite me in if we venture further?” You swallowed thickly. Would he make you walk further just to see how you would act? This was General Hux. He _so_ would do something like that.

Thankfully, however, he chose to not. A rich chuckle echoed in the corridor as the man pulled out his key. He stepped past you, and you followed behind him those last few steps to the door of his room. Your heart threatened to race in your chest. It stuttered, feeling rather heavy. As with the door to the building, he held this open for you as well. You thanked him, using his first name again—it would be so unfortunate that you could not say _Armitage_ when the vacation ended. At least not publicly as had been the case here. He smirked at you, hunger in his eyes.

That look nearly had you ducking out. As though sensing this, his expression softened. “There can be enjoyment without sex.”

“I mean, I do…eventually… I just…”

“Strangely, I think I am looking forward to the foreplay most. As I informed you, I have not had the time to indulge in this manner in quite a while.”

Your next step was nearly a skip. Another laugh escaped him, and the door closed. You flicked on the lights for the room. You did not know the layout, and tripping over random objects would not exactly be sexy. It could have results worse than sand in the vagina. A bloodied or broken nose. Hitting your head and getting knocked unconscious. Yeah, not sexy. The shuffling of clothing behind you, frantic and desperate? _That_ made your toes curl. The general was excited, eager, and all for you.

Now you were happy that you had worn the Imperial Symbol bra and panties. You shrugged out of your dress, allowing it to slip down your body and pool at your feet. Even without looking over your shoulder, you knew he was pleased. The swear that left his lips was testament to his feelings. The growl that nearly caught in his throat. A sort of purr and the yanking of a zipper. He was doing his pants.

You stepped out from the dress, crossing the room in your underwear and high heels.

More eager scrambling to get out of clothing—and _thud_ following by another swear. You whipped around, covering the lower half of your face with your hand as you tried to hold in your laughter. The redhead’s face was covered in a blush. He had one forearm pressed against the wall. This is how he had caught himself when he had started to fall following his feet getting tangled up in his pants.

“That actually makes me feel better,” you said. You then smirked deviously, dropping your hand so that he could see your expression. “We’re on more equal footing now.”

“Somehow _I’m_ always the one receiving the physical injuries.”

“It’s so commendable, sir,” you teased. “Putting yourself at risk for me.”

Though his eyes strayed from your face from time to time, you enjoyed the way he mostly met your gaze. It showed the respect he had for you while at the same time displaying how much he wanted you. He righted himself, pushing off the wall and kicking his pants away. You half expected him to reach down, fold them in an orderly fashion, and place them off to the side. He did not, the man opting instead to toss off his undershirt as well. General Hux was down to his briefs.

You hooked a finger and gave him a _come hither_. His curiosity showed on his face, eyes pinching as they darted about you. It was your turn to chuckle. You cocked your head to the side, your hand sweeping to the side to gesture that he climb onto the bed.

General Hux quirked a single brow. “I was wondering if you would have me relinquish control.”

“Not completely. Just at first anyway. Uhm, if it’s okay with you.”

As he stepped past you, the redhead brushing his hand along your hip. He murmured that this suited him just fine; he was curious and perhaps you taking lead would prolong the pleasure. Again he was being honest with you. It ensured this experience was pleasant. Honesty was important, especially when there was any sort of power play. You kept your eyes on him. He placed his hands onto the edge of the mattress, shifting them upwards and raising each leg until he was crawling up the length of the bed. You could not tear your eyes away from his ass. Toned. He was lean in some respects yet so toned as well. You loved his body.

When he reached the top of the bed, General Hux twisted around, lying on his back with his torso propped up. Your heels clicked on the floor as you made those final few steps that took you to the end of the bed. _Heels on or off?_ You decided to keep them on, hoisted yourself onto the bed, and straddled him. His cock was hard, pressing against you through the thin layers of clothing you each wore.

“Put your arms above your head,” you said, gentle enough to where he could easily know that you would not be insulted if he objected. The man stretched out underneath you, his hips rolling a little with his movements as he chose to oblige. You set the tip of your finger on his bare stomach and lazily traced patterns on his flesh. He shuddered underneath you. His jaw clenched, the man visibly straining. He truly was accustomed to quickies. Couple that with his need to be in control—you wondered if he was going to cum just from these soft touches. “I wish I had a feather.”

“Kriff,” he hissed, swallowing thickly. You ground your hips into his, whispering softly that you would like him to tell you what he wanted. “Kriff,” he repeated. His eyes darted about your entire body. There was another moment in which he grit his teeth. Deciding how defenseless he wanted to be? It was likely, for when he spoke again, there was a slight hesitation. “I… Tease me.”

You did not insult him by asking how—he probably did not _know_ how. He was truly relinquishing control to you. Your presence here was to please him. Give him control by giving him his desires. It was something so often misunderstood by those outside of such relationships. And while you were not completely well-versed in numerous techniques, you did understand this balance.

Gently, slowly, you bent to where you could ghost your lips along his collarbone. His entire body shuddered underneath you again. You _loved_ it all. His soft gasp that he clearly tried to mask. You whispered, “You’re fine.” Not in a way that he would feel belittled; it was to allow him to know you expected such reactions. His next breath was more even. Still, he struggled with not grabbing onto you, his hands twitching before he relaxed his wrists once more. You pressed your lips to his chest in a kiss. Your tongue slipped out, the very tip drawing a line down to his nipple.

He was trembling again. It made you wonder just how quick his previous encounters had been. Little to no foreplay—had he considered making out and preparing his cock and the woman to be foreplay? Quick touches. No teasing. Is that what he had experienced for Maker knows how long? His trembling could well be from trying to last longer.

You paused, drawing your tongue back into your mouth. It was difficult to tell how he would react if he prematurely ejaculated—not that the two of you planned on having sex this time. But if he came early, you imagined he would be more than a little embarrassed.

_He’s almost touch-starved. Pace yourself, girl._

“How did you come up with the name Millicent for her?” You peeked up at his face to find that he was glaring at you, on the verge of snarling. You had just thrown him for a loop. Waiting for him to recover, you sat back up in a way that had your hips rolling into his. General Hux clenched his jaw then relaxed it. He huffed out a sigh. “You don’t like conversation during sex?” That probably was not the sort of teasing he had been looking forward to. “Oh gosh,” you said with feigned worry. “You’re thinking about the gag now, aren’t you? I talk too much.”

The man was unable to keep a straight face at that. His entire body relaxed underneath you, and he allowed himself a grin. “You are quite adept in understanding body language.”

“Don’t let it embarrass you.” This you said due to the faint blush that had started to gather in his cheeks. “It’s actually pretty flattering. Plus this is working nicely. I know I’m not the only eager one—and we get to learn about one another both physically and on a more personal level.”

His eyes were half-lidded now. He was again growing more comfortable with you, once more relinquishing control without the need to question it. When he answered your question, his voice was less strained than before. He was calm, and that was perfect for you. General Hux initially had not intended to keep the cat. She had been a kitten, and he had been on a more political-oriented mission on one of the Centrist worlds. The little cat had managed to make her way into his room one of the nights. He had prompt set her back outside—here your jaw dropped. Though he kept his arms above his head, he made a gesture to dismiss your shock.

It had started to rain that night, and the kitten refused to leave the window to his room. She scratched at the glass, meowing and howling. In order to get sleep, he allowed her in. You vaguely wondered if he had ever considered hurting her, if he was leaving out those details, but did not ask. The question must have shown on your face however.

“There were several dead mice right by window—she had been bringing them to me throughout the day after I removed her from the room. I had watched her off and on while working through the reports for the mission. There was nothing hostile about her. Annoying in a way, and yet she was but a kitten. Likely the runt of the litter, or else born to a family who did not want her. It is not unheard of for those on the planet to discard unwanted kittens.” You winced at this. It was a harsh truth, but that did not mean you had to like it. “She was strong. Millicent was the first thing to come to mind. Of course, after I named her, it seemed a waste to just leave her there.”

“She relaxed you.”

“Yes.”

“Mm… Move your arms a bit so they don’t fall asleep. I don’t want you to suffer poor circulation.” He grunted, though all the same he lowered his arms, moving his wrists back and forth. His erection had flagged, yet you swore you could feel his dick twitch when you ground into him. A moan left him. You stretched out for a second time, your chest near his face. General Hux placed his hands on your upper arms and leaned up to kiss your cleavage. Your fingers went instantly to his hair. It was soft. You raked your fingers back, lifting them slightly so that when they traveled behind his ears, they barely touched the flesh. Hot breath enveloped your breasts, slipping even past your bra. You felt your nipples hardening, your inner walls clenching. Underneath you, the man bucked up his hips. His fingertips dug into your arms.

You licked your lips and continued your fingers’ trail downwards. Over the back of his neck, down to the middle of his back. His teeth and tongue were on your right breast, the man sloppily kissing you. As on the beach, the two of you were grinding into one another. You began to move your hands in reverse until you could grip his shoulders. You pushed at him gently. His eyes drank in your face for the few seconds that he could see it. You tilted your head, bringing your mouth closer to his ear. You trailed the side of your tongue along the very edge of his ear.

“Oh, kriff.”

“I love how sensitive you are, General.” The way he was trembling, shuddering, one hand pushing at you and the other tugging you closer—he was close. “I hope you don’t take this wrong—I really want to train your body.”

“Nnn…kriff—ah!” He groaned out your name as he came. His nails dug into your flesh, leaving marks that would last for several minutes after he released you. You grabbed his jaw in one hand, tilting back his head and practically slamming your mouth atop his.

Unable to hold himself back any longer, the man flipped the two of you over, pinning you to the bed. He yanked your hands up then, pushing your wrists into just one of his hands then dropping its twin down to your panties. He slipped his middle finger past the edge of the material, swirling the digit in your juices. He prodded at your entrance thrice then drew zigzags up to your clitoris. Now _you_ were starting to tremble. You could see clearly that his partners had not been left wanting despite how quick their sessions were.

General Hux twisted his wrist, one finger entering you. He curled the digit at the knuckle as he began to withdraw it. You gulped, your eyes wide as your eyelids fluttered. You panted underneath him. Sweat dripped down your brow. The man above you worked in a second finger. His mouth was on yours, tongue working itself past your lips. You yielded to him immediately, not putting up any resistance. You wanted this as badly as he did. Spreading your legs more widely, you tried to brace your feet on the mattress so that you could fuck yourself on his fingers.

He pulled back from the kiss. “It seems I’m not the one who has difficulty giving up control.”

“Oh, you’re just that good at what you do,” you purred breathlessly.

“Hmm.” He traced his lips with his tongue. You eyed the organ with want, wishing it was inside of your mouth or cunt that very moment. General Hux gave the tip of your nose a peck with his lips. You groaned at the kiss, your toes curling as the man started to finger fuck you harder. He then withdrew his fingers, rocking them against your clit. Rather than kiss you again, the redhead mouthed your breast through your bra. His teeth bit into the material so that you could feel the lightest of pressure on the sensitive flesh.

This time when he moved his fingers into you, he kept his thumb on your clit, stimulating you both internally and externally. It seemed as though stars popped into your line of vision as you came, your entire body in spasms. You greedily gulped in air, moaning and arching off the bed.

General Hux coated his fingers in your juices, slipping them into his mouth and tasting you as you stared up at him with your mouth hanging open. Your chest rose and fell heavily. “Mm. Delicious.”

“Kriff,” you panted. You puckered your lips, released a breath, and felt yourself going limp on his bed. “I’m still stealing Millicent.” He set his hand on the side of your face, cupping your cheek. You leaned into his touch for a moment before turning your head to nip at his palm.

“Would you like to stay the night?”

“Mmm… It will be a short walk of shame tomorrow.”

“Oh? Shame?”

“Should I strut all proudly down the hall?” As you said this, your date had reached back to pull off your high heels. He allowed these to drop over the side of the bed then laid down beside you. The man drawled out a simple _of course_ that had you rolling your eyes and grinning. “I’d like to stay.” He was toying with your hair, looking at you in a way that had you remembering it was unlikely he had extended this offer to anyone in quite a while. You suddenly felt your cheeks heating up. “G-goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Despite this, neither of you moved to turn off the light.


	8. Proper Vacation

 

** Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger **  
_Eight_  
Proper Vacation

When it came to dating amongst officers in the First Order, there was protocol to follow. Paperwork and necessary permissions when the two involved were separated by a specified number of pay grades. If this thing between you and the general was set to last longer than your vacation now, these protocols would need to be followed. You stared at the man, who had fallen asleep after you. You had awoken though. Sometime before sleeping, General Hux had changed his bottoms and shut out the light. Your eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough that you could see his face though.

You wanted it to last. Not just because of Millicent either; meeting the kitten would definitely be a huge bonus for you, but it was the man himself who was becoming more intriguing. This was a man who held a position of power and understood well what power meant. He did not like to give up control. Yet, for whatever reason, he had been comfortable enough with you to give you that control. He trusted you more than some of your former boyfriends did. Appreciated the various aspects of your personality that he had been in contact with, even when the two of you disagreed on some matters.

Your mind returned to the paperwork that would need to be filled. You, personally, had never had to worry about such things. The familiarity stemmed from helping closer friends or serving as a witness when such things were signed. When the reality of the necessity of this paperwork hit the man beside you in full, would this relationship still be something he wished to pursue?

To say you wanted to seize his shoulders and shake him awake was an understatement. A scowl twisted your features. You could come off as being completely irrational if you resorted to such measures. The problem was, you could not turn off your mind no matter how hard you tried.

Here you were, in his room—when you exited to make your way back to _your_ room, other officers were bound to see you. This relationship would be out in the open before that paperwork even started. General Hux had to be aware of this. He knew the repercussions of inviting you to stay the night with him. Stars, he had taken you on a public date.

_Did he have to do paperwork for those he had quickies with?_

The thought caused you pause. You were unsure where it had come from, yet you were startled by how logical and appropriate the question was.

“Your foot twitches when you’re nervous.” You released a sort of yelp that drowned out his words. Your mind managed to process them after several seconds. How long had he been awake for? General Hux swiped his hand down the length of his face. “Are you regretting what we did?”

“No. Stars, no,” you said with a snort. “I just…paperwork.”

“Mm. Yes. Nothing I am looking forward to, however I planned on sending a message ahead of time.”

You hummed in response then asked, “For your quickies, was there paperwork?”

“Here I thought most did not enjoy speaking of past relationships.” You shrugged, whispering that you did not view them as entirely _relationships_ so much as _arrangements_. You had had a few such arrangements in the past as well. The man did not balk at your words. As always, he seemed to appreciate how forthcoming you were with him. “Only once. Otherwise it was easier to have such arrangements with women where neither of us needed to involve paperwork. Closer in rank. It was easier on both of us.”

You wondered briefly if Captain Phasma was one such person, however you did not ask aloud. The truth was, you did _not_ want to know the answer to that. Especially if it was where they had had such an arrangement. It would make you all the more intimidated by her, not to mention cause tension whenever you were in her presence. No names. You wanted no names. And you would not give him any names either. _That’s_ when speaking of past relationships or arrangements would be awkward and uncomfortable.

“I should probably delete my profile. Or mark it where I’m _taken_ ,” you stated thoughtfully.

General Hux slipped an arm underneath you and tugged your body closer to his. You felt your breasts pressing against his side. One hand on his chest, you arched your wrist to where only your fingertips were touching there.

“You know, in a way, our relationship started with a fight.”

The man again did not answer aloud. You felt a shift on the bed. Tilting back your head, you saw that he had tilted his head to the side. He was likely thinking over how everything had occurred, how the two of you had wound up here. A prank. The officer who had taken Armitage Hux’s information received a silent thanks in your mind, however you were content with the knowledge that he was being punished for his actions. There had been more women than just you. And it was only chance that the real General of the First Order had been attracted to you.

“Hmm.” You released your own _hmm?_ in response. “I believe one of the portions of the form questions how the relationship began. Perhaps it would be prudent to skip over the fight. That may raise a few eyebrows.”

“General Hux views fighting as sexy,” you snickered, earning a huffed out sigh from the man. It held no irritation. In the darkness, you could see him shaking his head back and forth. You amused him even now, though in a good way. “Gets that adrenaline pumping. Unf.”

“Unf?” While you had given your all into saying the word, pronouncing it with a slight cross between a moan and a grunt, General Hux had simply said it. You clicked your tongue against the roof of your mouth disapprovingly. The man tried again. “Unf.”

“Very good. Grunted out just like that.”

“You truly are trying to train me,” he said with a snort.

You moved your hand to where it was palm down on his other pectoral muscle. Meanwhile, you rested on your head on his chest and snuggled against him. “Train you to have a proper vacation maybe,” you drawled. He was rubbing your upper arm, his hand moving in a steady rhythm. Possibly trying to lull you back to sleep. It _was_ late. And, you reasoned, sleeping like this probably was the highlight of his vacation. Everyone knew that he did not sleep all that much while working. Caf was a good friend of the general’s.

Friends. You started to wonder how you would broach the subject of your new boyfriend—lover?—with your friends. You had a handful of them. Not that you were less social than others. It was simply that you considered most individuals to be coworkers or peers. You reserved the term _friend_ for individuals you knew you could share things with. Personal things. You could count on them. Others, they tended to back out or else never accepted responsibility for things. It was too tedious and exhausting to work with them at times—those people could not be referred to as friends.

Stars, communicating with Kylo Ren, the man still using a false name, in the book club was far easier than working with some of the people who tried to claim that they were your friend. At those times, you would generally grunt because you were not in any mood for an argument. For them to turn things on you _yet again_.

This was probably why you had not dated in a while, you thought. If friendships were a complicated thing, romantic relationships were a much larger commitment. A commitment that could lead in chaos. Confusion. Frustration. The need to cry or else aim a blaster at the person’s head when all was said and done.

In this case, if things fell through then you would probably just steal his cat like you had been jokingly threatening to do. Not that you would be able to get anywhere with her. There would be no escape route.

You closed your eyes, becoming more and more relaxed. When you spoke, it was between yawning. “Can Millicent sleep in the barracks with me?”

General Hux chuckled, his laughter breathy due to his own tiredness. “I can give you access to my suite. All paperwork and arrangements will be made. I am starting to believe that _I_ will have to train _you_ …into not stealing your general’s cat.”

“Probably,” you teased, sliding a leg onto top of his when you bent the limb at the knee.

When you next awoke, it was still morning though early enough that you could technically sneak out of the room and get to yours without anyone seeing you. You used the refresher then stood by the door. Contemplating. You had not pulled your dress or heels back on yet. Only your bra and panties. The bedside lamp was turned on. General Hux had been the one to wake up first. The glow of his datapad had interrupted your sleep, however you did not mind this in the least. You could hear him shift. Looking over your shoulder, you confirmed that he was watching you.

His expression was gentle. There was no demand that you stay. Nor any pushing for you to leave. It was your decision to make, and he would respect it regardless. Some would view this as him being too detached. For you, you had accepted this part of him easily since you were in the same career as he was. Being an officer meant that you had to compartmentalize matters. Some officers failed at this, unfortunately.

You set a hand on your hip, half turning and asking if he wanted to have breakfast in or go out. You were not hungry just yet. At the same time, you did not want the date to end yet unless he wanted a break. Alone time was important to everyone. Breathing room.

“Well,” he drawled, “there is something you may not have yet considered. I dress now, and together we use your room for breakfast. We can avoid that walk of shame if we leave in a few minutes.”

An easy smile graced your lips. The man was already moving off the bed and towards where he kept his clothing despite that you had not yet answered. You did like this alternative, and it _was_ something that hadn’t crossed your mind. The man was considerate in strange ways. He kept you on your toes, albeit in a good way. Your nervousness around him, when it did present itself, was not out of fear. Nor any shame either. You walked over to where you had let your dress fall, tugging the material back on. The heels you would not replace. Barefoot it was for you. General Hux, naturally, did pull on shoes. He also grabbed hold of his datapad.

That was something you cherished already in regards to this blossoming relationship. The two of you were comfortable enough around each other to be yourselves. Sure, it did make some parts awkward and did cause moments of tension. Yet it ultimately saved for poorly timed revelations or feelings of betrayal down the road.

You opened the door, which earned you a frown from him. He wanted to be a gentleman. It made you grin more widely. A display of equality was something you were thankful for, you commented this and earned a nod from the man. He mumbled out something in agreement though you did not catch all the words. General Hux close the door. You had seen him slip his key into his pants’ pocket. His datapad was still in his hand.

In the side of your vision, you could see him opening up the message center. Your high heels hit lightly against your thighs as you swung them back and forth. It did not take long to make it to your room. No one peeked out at this hour, which meant that it would be a little longer before they learned that you had dated the general. Or, for any who may have seen the pair of you leaving, that you had stayed the night together. You unlocked the door, pushing it open and leaning your back against the surface. The redhead gave you a brief look as he walked past you.

“Soooo…” You waited for the door to close before continuing. General Hux had found a seat on the end of the bed. “Want to enjoy a few seconds of seeing me naked as I throw off my underwear? I was thinking of a quick rinse down, but I’m not yet ready to share the shower with you.”

Rather than answer immediately, he paused to consider the options. It was not as though it were a simple yes or no. If his body reacted to the sight of you naked, knowing that you were not ready quite yet to have sex with him—you were willing to lend him a hand, however you weren’t going to be forthcoming about that just yet either. You wanted his honest answer with this. When nothing was to be assumed. When he did response, General Hux gave a single, curt nod.

You smiled to yourself. Either of his answers would have been fine. But, you had to admit, you would have felt a little deflated if he had said no. Understood where he was coming from, but been a little disappointed.

You shimmied out of the dress, waggled you eyebrows at him—he shook his head, smirking and snorting lightly—and reached behind with one hand. It was easy to unhook the bra. You did not let it fall immediately. You waited for each strap to start to sag on your shoulders. Hux placed his datapad at his side, no longer touching it. His full attention was on you. You let one cup drop below your nipple then its twin. His eyes widened a little as the bra met the floor.

It reminded you of how he had stared at your breasts at the café. You wanted to verbally tease him a little, but you held back. The teasing would come at a time that you were ready for anything to happen. It would be almost cruel to do it now when he couldn’t touch you. When there were still boundaries that you had set up and that he was respecting. So, instead, you offered a pleased smile and hooked both of your thumbs into your panties. You didn’t delay dropping those to the ground.

His lips parted, a huffed out _oh_ that turned into a strangle groan sounding from him. It had your body reacting. Goosebumps pimpled along your flesh.

These were trust building exercises. Both of you wanted one another. And, from what he had shared and what you had also revealed to him, each of you also wished to explore in the bedroom. That did require trust. Trust he had been displaying all this time. Trust you would grant him as well. The previous night had been delicious. The idea that there would be more, that some of your sessions in the future would likely result in multiple orgasms had you wanting to throw yourself at him right then and there. Patience was a necessity.

Wetting your lips with your tongue, you spoke, your voice a little strangled and tight as you fought to keep your composure. “If you want to order breakfast…caf with it. Something simple. Then maybe we could talk? You know, about things…and sex.”

“And sex,” he said, sitting up straighter. His thighs tensed. The growing bulge in his pants prompted you to make a gesture and then move into the bathroom. You would not prolong things. General Hux called to you as you started to fiddle with the shower knob. “Technique and toys?”

“And positions. Maybe a safe word? I don’t know. I told you, I haven’t _really_ done this. Not like this.”

When he did not say anything more for several seconds, you moved into the shower and under the spray of the water. It was a quick rinse down. Much as you had told the man, you wanted to clean your hair. You took a washcloth, used the soap, and quickly scrubbed your body as well. Finished with this, you shut off the spray. It had not even gotten to the temperature you usually used. You simply wanted to enjoy more time with Hux while on vacation. Things _would_ continue when the two of you returned to work, but that did not stop you from admitting that _now_ was the best time to discuss things that required more depth.

You towel dried your hair before wrapping another towel around your body. General Hux did nothing to hide that he was watching you as you made your way over to grab out clothes. You didn’t say anything about him staring. “I know some things need to develop on their own. But, at the same time, it would be nice to go back to that shop. Maybe buy a few things together to start off. Things that we are both comfortable with.”

“I am fine with the feather,” he said. You felt yourself grinning more widely than you had in some time. “And…I believe we both agreed to simple restraints?” You nodded, uttering a _yup_. “Those may be available on the ship already. Though possibly not as comfortable…”

“We could hold off. Use bedsheets or something. I didn’t really check the price. If they aren’t too expensive, it could be worth buying just in case there isn’t a suitable alternative.”

The panties you pulled on were plain. Some would call them granny panties. You called them comfortable. It was nice to have a variety of styles in order to fit your mood. The bra was casual as well. Nothing sexy. Yet the set drew Hux’s attention almost as much as the Imperial symbol ones had. You tugged on comfortable bottoms and a loose top. The towel you picked up from the floor, and you returned to the bathroom in order to hang it up.

This time when you returned to the room, you climbed onto the bed with him. He twisted around to face you. “Maybe we should talk about expectations too.”

“Expectations?” He sounded as though he were tasting the word. His eyebrows were drawn towards one another in genuine confusion.

You shrugged. “As in…well, personal boundaries and also… So, I’m not going to be overbearing and irrational. Telling you that you can’t talk to other girls. Blah, blah, blah. And obviously your job is important. But, if we’re going to make this work, I’d like to see you at least once a week. If possible. Things come up when…well, war and all. So even if it has to be over a comlink.”

“You’re wanting commitment then.” You felt your toes curl in anticipation. Had he been thinking something else? Judging by the way he nodded, you understood that he was only wanting clarification. “And understanding that this is more than simply an arrangement for sex. I agree. Accountability is also important. That being said, it would also be your place to tell me if something is bothering you rather than leaving me to guess if it is. Within reason—personal and business are two separate issues.”

“That sounds fair,” you conceded. “I want to continue calling you Armitage when I’m not on duty.”

“Mm. Even when I am?”

“Not in any tactless manner, but in some circumstances, yes.”

“Should I correct you because _I_ believe the circumstance to not be acceptable?” You nodded, again accepting this. Appearances were important in the First Order, and showing that something that could be construed by others as insubordination would not be tolerated was fine. That was where personal and business would have to be divided. It would be awkward and cumbersome to get used to all the scenarios. If he was willing, however, then so were you. “Ah. You are, under no circumstances, allowed to steal my cat.”

“What if it’s life or death?” The fact that you had not missed a beat threw him off guard. His mouth was open, however nothing was coming out. The man closed his mouth and sat blinking at you. You shrugged. “Temporarily steal her from your room if she needs help.”

“Why would she need help?”

“I don’t know. I might be being argumentative.” The way he titled his head to the side was cute to you. You placed your hands on either of your knees. “I might need to borrow her if I’m sad.” You cocked your head. “Or mad. S’mad.” He raised an eyebrow at you. You stifled a yawn. “I’m still a bit tired. It’s so early.”

“That was sleeping in for me.”

You raised one finger. “So. New boundary: on my days off, unless it’s something special, and if I’m in your suite then I just want to sleep in. You can be an early bird or whatever. I’ll sleep.”

“Very well,” General Hux said, easily accepting these terms. “I’ll check what time the shop opens. There may be some time to relax after breakfast. Unless the caf helps to wake you.” You were yawning again, apologizing for doing so. “It’s alright. You may lie down if you need to until breakfast gets here. I am fine looking through messages.”

You stretched out on the bed without any further prompting. He lifted his datapad, laid down beside you, and began to work. After your nap and breakfast, you told yourself, you were going to make sure he got back to vacationing properly.


	9. The Right Influences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have me on instagram, the parts I posted are roughly the first third of this chapter. (In case you want to skim-read/skip over what you already read)
> 
> I wanted to get this up since I've been promising it. Then am going to take a small breather. Again, it might last only a few days. I'm fine; very grateful for all the support I have from family, friends and readers. Life happens to us all, and I appreciate beyond words all your patience. Lots of love!
> 
> Edit: I forgot to mention it originally. The beginning of this chapter was inspired by LeQuinn. They asked for a particular type of scene, and this resulted. So thank you so very much!

 

** Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger **  
_Nine _  
The Right Influences__

__  
__  


__The mind is a most fascinating thing, and the subconscious rather enjoys stringing together separate matters into a most peculiar dream. It was the idea of purchasing restraints that led to this particular string of events. Couple that with the ever-lingering dating app scam and your desire to never be an overly jealous girlfriend—well, here your dream-self was tying up the poor (evil), innocent (home-wrecking!) fellow female officer who had _dared_ to flirt with _your_ boyfriend of a General! The knife at your hip was further proof that there was hell—and, yes, possibly a life—to pay. Somehow your dream-self was convinced she was not the jealous type despite all this. Nope. Just a very proud owner of one General Armitage Hux. This sort of retribution wasn’t overkill—pun intended; it was simply you following the owner’s manual. Complete with a wicked grin from you and gag-muffled screams from the flirt. You’d probably tie up Armitage later with these same tools. Mark your territory. Reassert your ownership. But first…the stabbing._ _

__Little miss psychotic dream-self took a step back to better appreciate her handiwork. You trailed a hand along the hilt of your blade. A slight tilt of the head as flirtatious home-wrecker begins to cry._ _

__“Hey.” That’s not right. She should _not_ be able to speak through the gag. And, most certainly, she shouldn’t have a male voice. Familiar voice. “Kriff, did I tire you out this much?” Armitage’s voice._ _

__Your dream-self looked to the left then the right. Seeing no one, you turned around. There was still a serious lack of ginger-haired males. Your hand abandoned the blade, and you walked over to the far wall. That was the one covered by climbing vines, which you began to use to gain altitude. Your would-be victim was silent. Perhaps she had fallen into some crack created by the shaking earth. For some reason, the trembling came in unison with pressure on your shoulder and Armitage’s voice saying your name._ _

__It was your name that did it. Your eyes snapped open, and your mind joined the waking world. _Stars_ , you thought, _don’t buy the blue gag when we go to the shop.__ _

__The redhead removed his hand from your shoulder upon noticing that you were now awake. He murmured that the food and caf had arrived. You appreciated the low volume used. You felt a little disoriented, though this did not last for very long. Whilst sitting up, you swung your legs over the side of the bed. You paused, your nostrils flaring as you inhaled the mouth-watering aroma of the food. It woke up your stomach as well. Its gurgling did not cause you any embarrassment. You licked your lips and walked over to the makeshift ‘picnic’ area Armitage had prepared with a spare towel on the floor. It was sweet and mildly romantic. You could easily grow used to this._ _

__“Thank you. It didn’t take too long to wake me, did it? I don’t usually sleep so hard.” You ducked your head as you spoke, feeling a bit sheepish._ _

__General Hux smirked, the man raising a single eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say ‘ _too_ long’, no.” You felt yourself starting to pout at his teasing, and quickly put on a sabacc face. He chuckled in response. Both of you grabbed up the cups of caf. You awkwardly made a _cheers_ gesture with the cup. Across from you, Armitage paused with his cup mere centimeters from his lips. You cleared your throat. Your eyes flicked momentarily towards the ceiling. Then, to keep yourself from drowning in the silence between you, you took a sip of the caf._ _

__“Kriff!” you hissed, yanking away the cup as some of the caf trailed out of your mouth and down your chin._ _

__“It’s hot,” he said. You huffed, shot him a _nah-really?_ -look, and blew lightly on the liquid. The lack of steam was a trap! That, or your eyesight wasn’t so good between having only recently awoken and the lighting in the room. “Are you alright?”_ _

__You were not going to let him off so easily. “Sarcasm before concern? I see where your priorities are.” You made sure to sue a teasing tone to ensure the man did not think you were being bitchy. He offered you an equally light-hearted _of course_. “Not going to be able to fully enjoy the food, but I’ll live.”_ _

__He nodded to acknowledge that he heard you. His hands, meanwhile, were unsnapping the lids from the plates of food. You again licked your lips. It all looked as delicious as it smelled. You picked up your fork to take a bite. For some reason you were feeling ravenous. The man across from you watched as you shoveled a bite of food into your mouth. He was probably making sure that you didn’t burn yourself again, or that was your impression since he took a bite of his own food when you had no reaction. It was something you appreciated, that he seemed to genuinely care about your well-being._ _

__After swallowing and before taking your second bite, you flashed a quick smile. “Thank you. And—uh, did you enjoy your work?” You felt less stupid than you had thought you would asking the question._ _

__“Mm.” A brief pause as he finished his mouthful. “There was a lot of progress made on several projects.” You could hear the pride in his voice as well as you were able to view it on his face. It made you glad that this man was your superior in the First Order. Some higher-ranking officers accepted the titles without doing the work. Most like that, thankfully, did not last long. But it didn’t take long for their laziness to do its damage. You would never be that way, this you repeatedly promised yourself. “One of which you will become more well-acquainted with shortly after we arrive on the _Finalizer_.”_ _

__This piqued your interest. As much as you wanted to press to learn more, you knew it would be unprofessional. You settled for: “I’m looking forward to it.”_ _

__Armitage only nodded at your words. This was fine with you. You were mirroring his actions of shoveling in more food. He did not have any problems drinking very hot caf. You, meanwhile, blew on yours before sipping it. Your thoughts wandered to the shop._ _

__There had been an assortment of toys in there that you had read about but never seen. And, upon seeing them, you had known that they weren’t for you. Though you had seen the selection of oils and lotions, you had never walked over to that display to better look at them. You wanted to do so this time. Of course, that also begged the question as to how much General Hux was into such things. A part of you wanted to ask the man, however you were taking into consideration that Armitage might be easier to approach when the pair of you were actually inside the shop again._ _

__After all, the whole temperature play conversation had only led to temporary bitterness and discomfort._ _

__“That’s a rather sour expression you are making,” the redhead teased, causing you to jerk back to the present. Your eyes flicked from his face down to your cup of caf. “Did you burn your tongue worse than you believed?”_ _

__“Uhmm…” You paused, debating with yourself whether or not you wanted to be truthful. He would likely sense if you were lying, but half-truths were okay, right? “Just thinking about some of the things in the shop.”_ _

__“I see,” Armitage said with a small nod. He narrowed his eyes, and it was more than apparent that he was attempt to read between the lines. You mimicked him, returning his gaze along with quirking an eyebrow. The man’s features softened. Not quite defeat—he would not admit to that. He was biding his time. That was acceptable. If he started being _too_ nice, too out of character you would probably worry about both him and your budding relationship. “You won’t have as much reading time when we do board the _Finalizer_.”_ _

__This was something you had already assumed. Which, you believed, meant he was trying to change the subject before the curiosity _really_ got to him. That was adorable in a way. Watching this man squirm was something you were quite enjoying. Especially since he did manage to keep face for the most part. You hummed to let him know that you understood. Silence descended once more. This time it lasted for the remainder of the meal. You both picked up your trash, discarding it in the nearest bin. It did not take either of you very long to finish readying for your trip back to the shop._ _

__When you did leave the room, there were a few of your fellow officers in the hallway. You did what you could to avoid noticing the way they were staring at you and Armitage together. That was something you would deal with later—once all the paperwork was completed. _Ugh, I hate doing paperwork like that._ Not that it wouldn’t be worth it._ _

__A smile formed on your lips. It was difficult to _not_ remember the fun you had had with General Hux. That had not even been sex, not yet. As much as you enjoyed being on top, you were also wondering what it would be like to have him in control. That was something the two of you would get to experiment with. Learn one another’s limitations. Become intimately familiar with each other, and not only in a sexual sense. For that to truly happen, he would have to let his guard down at least a bit more. Not enough where security for the First Order was on the line. You were _not_ irrational or crazy, no matter how your dream-self acted._ _

__Your eye caught on the few pictures that were in the hallway. Simple, cheap decoration that was rather aesthetically pleasing. It reminded you of the streets just outside. A little bit of lawn here and there. Trees. Clean air, and very few automobiles. Most tourists walked just as much as the locals. The shops had trinkets above their doors. It all allowed you to experience the culture of the planet despite being limited to a smaller area. You loved that._ _

__As you exited the building—Armitage had opened the door for you, which had caused your smile to widen—you released a breath you had unwittingly been holding in. “I’m sorry.”_ _

__“Do not feel obligated to tell me anything you are not comfortable with,” Armitage said. As always, he proved to be quite adept at reading your body language. “When you trust someone, you are giving them the power to hurt you. Many take that power for granted or else do not care. They hurt you. When you are comfortable, you may share.”_ _

__“I’m a bit gunshy after what happened when I brought up temperature play,” you blurted. You did feel comfortable. Somehow you knew that he had not said those words to manipulate you into speaking. He had been honest. You wanted to be honest as well. “So when it comes to bringing up some of the items in the shop, I just am not sure what the best setting is. Wait until we get there. Say it right away. Never say it ever. Then I feel that’s unfair to you, holding that over your head.”_ _

__“Hmm… It’s a fresh wound,” the redhead said as he drew closer to you. His hand brushed along yours in unison with the two of you passing by one of the more colorful shops. It was three doors down from a florist. “It is an issue we will work on. I broke some of your trust…” You turned your head to look at him, the way he wrinkled his nose whilst begrudgingly admitting to this. “I need to earn it back.”_ _

__If this relationship failed to work out in the end, if it broke up—well, Armitage was setting pretty high standards that your next boyfriend would have to meet. This was not something you would complain about though. He made you feel good about yourself, encouraged you to be confident. Armitage was amazing as both a general and a boyfriend._ _

__You slipped your hand into his to see what he would do. His fingers twitched, at first away and then back towards your limb. He held onto your hand, and you could feel your heart sort of hiccupping in your chest. A warmth spread through you and you felt almost dizzy. Gleeful. Giddy._ _

__He was not wearing gloves as he did whenever in uniform. You could feel some of the calluses he had on the pads of his fingers. From doing so much on datapads, you knew. Writing and typing and looking over reports. Correcting them._ _

__You inhaled deeply in an attempt to catch your breath. The light breeze caused some of the cloth awnings to flutter. The majority of them were beige in color, although you wanted to say that at least a fourth of them were multi-colored. Striped. Their patterns, for some reason, made you minor sense of vertigo threaten to increase. Not that this was a bad thing. You felt as though you were on cloud nine._ _

__It was difficult for you to not think of those hands on you. Using lotions and oils. Rubbing them into your flesh—all over your body. You wondered how it would feel when at last he cupped your breasts. When at last he would grab onto your hips and be inside of you._ _

__You swallowed thickly, telling yourself to hold back. There was no need to get overly aroused. _Stars, I’m acting like the touch-starved one here,_ you thought as your smile transformed into a goofy grin._ _

__He was earning your trust back. The hesitation over discussing the shop items with him was diminishing the more he interacted with you. He was accepting responsibility for his actions. Accountability and selflessness. Those are things that relationships required—from _both_ parties. The ability to understand that you could hurt one another. The empathy required to get through those times, to apologize when you did cross lines. Already this was one of the most healthy relationships you had ever been in with another._ _

__“I want to look at the lotions and oils there,” you said, albeit at a lower volume. You were still nervous; that wasn’t disappearing any time soon. Sand blew along the stone pathways that the two of you were walking on. “Er…I just don’t know how you feel about it.”_ _

__His thumb brushed downwards then made a return journey to its previous position. A simple caress, something to comfort you. “Massage oils?” he asked, an inflection in his voice that clearly marked him as being curious. You nodded by way of response. “I will admit that I am not entirely certain as to how often we will be able to use them, however I am quite interested in those as well. I hear a few increase arousal in women.”_ _

__The pooling heat returned, although this time it was more welcomed by you. You could again picture him massaging you, touching you. And now you were also wondering if there were any oils that would help _him_. Something to help him relax on more stressful days. Maker knew he needed to have some quiet time every once in a while. Most people you knew would have had a mental breakdown with this man’s workload. Stars, you would have been just as much of a caf addict if not moreso than this man had you been given his workload._ _

__“Sometimes you’re just very hard to read, you know.”_ _

__A light chuckle escaped him as the pair of you turned a corner. There were a few meters on this roadside. Most of those were empty, although there were two vehicles parked. Early risers like the two of you. “I consider that to be a good thing.”_ _

__“For work, sure,” you said with a snort. “For me, it can be…intimidating.” You were grateful that the man did not flinch at your wording. He had admitted that your knowledge of sex was something quite intimidating. This led you to believe that you could be upfront about this matter. Armitage hummed, his thumb tapping the back of your hand. “I respect you a lot.”_ _

__“We will make this work out,” he said softly. It felt as though a weight had been lifted. His tone was open enough to let you know that he was likely harboring some of the same concerns as you were about this relationship. Once the vacation ended, it would be a balancing act._ _

___No killing other officers though,_ you silently joked to yourself. “Oh…nothing blue,” you said, looking at him. He furrowed his brow, and you held in your laughter. You were _not_ about to tell him your dream. “It’s stupid, please don’t ask.”_ _

__“I won’t.” A small pause followed by. “Nothing red.”_ _

__“Orange?”_ _

__“Hmm… I suppose if it’s not a reddish orange, I’ll concede.” The two of you were grinning. It was well to be in this mood, what with the shop directly before you. “I’ll grab a basket…and pay.” You bit down on your tongue. “Believe it or not, I did less work for the First Order than you may have thought this morning.”_ _

__Researching what sort of toys he would want to try with you instead of doing work?_ _

__“Oh no, General,” you teased, “they may say I’m a bad influence on you.”_ _

__“One of us may have to be punished.” Your eyes traveled up and down his body. “Am I vacationing properly yet?”_ _

__“You’re getting there,” you said in sing-song as you tugged at his hand to lead him towards the oils._ _


	10. A Small Taste

 

** Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger **  
_Ten_  
A Small Taste

There was a generous variety of oils, more than you had originally believed there would be. The shop seemed to have received a new shipment, or else it had replenished its display case from items in the storeroom. You eliminated a few potential oils based on their scent, others due to their names. General Hux withdrew his hand from yours and lifted one of the vials. He inspected it as you touched a different container. You were searching for oils that had scents known to relax the user. Something to ease the tension that occasionally built up in your shoulders and neck when you worked.

Armitage replaced the vial and picked up a different one. He angled it so that you were able to read the name. You hummed in approval. The redhead kept this one in his hand as he selected another. You showed him one that you were particularly fond of. The man nodded his approval, and the two of you moved away from the oils with the three that you had agreed upon. He set these in the basket he had previously grabbed.

Since the oils had been by your suggestion, you fell back a step so that Armitage could choose what the two of you would look at next. He flashed a quick grin your way before turning around and leading you to the restraints. The pair of you avoided both the red and blue colored objects. That left a deep shade of purple, orange, and black as the options you could choose from. Your date made a strange noise quite like a tsk when you touched the orange. With an amused smile, you instead lifted the purple one. Armitage tilted his head to the side, his eyes darting between the purple and black.

You transferred your gaze from the object to the man’s face. His opinion was important on this matter. It would not do to have any sort of resentment or disappointment when the restraints were used. That would damage the trust needed for a healthy relationship that toyed with pain and pleasure—if things did go further into the pain aspect, you noted. You were unsure if you wanted to explore that fully. Temperature play, yes. As for any spankings and the likes, you would leave that decision for another time.

Armitage adjusted the basket so that it was closer to you. You felt a warmth building in your chest—affection, if you had to give it a name—as you placed the purple restraints into the basket.

“We will be leaving here tomorrow,” he said, his voice quiet so that the cashier would not be able to overhear. You frowned, disappointed in the news. There had to be something important occurring for the vacation to end early. “There will be compensation for all being prematurely pulled away from this visit.”

You picked up a silk blindfold, the material dangling between your fingers where you pinched it. “Monetary or future leave?”

“That has not yet been determined.” You nodded. While you were not thrilled to know this, you understood. It was part of the job that you had signed up for. “It is for safety purposes that this is being done.”

“I trust you, and the judgment of the First Order,” you replied, forcing a smile to help alleviate the worry that you suspected was building. You did not blame him for doing his job, and you hoped that he understood this. His eyes danced along your face. Armitage gave a curt nod then looked at the blindfold. Raising a single brow, you placed it into the basket. General Hux’s lips began to spread in a smile, though he quickly altered his expression and smirked instead. “We’ll have to make this day count—you getting a proper vacation for once.”

At your teasing, Armitage chuckled. He allowed his eyes time to wander about the shop then nodded in the direction of another display. You followed his lead and felt your face growing hot when you realized the edible panties were what had caught his attention. Your toes curled in your shoes. Heart hammering in your chest, you pushed aside the first row to see what other styles and flavors were present. It made things less awkward that the redhead had not grabbed a pair at random to place into the basket. It was that level of respect he had for you that influenced you to return the favor. You grabbed two different styles and asked him to pick. Both were thongs, however one had only a single strap while the other had two straps, which would be crisscrossed on your thigh. It was the latter that he pointed to.

You put the package into the basket with one hand and replaced the other on the hook with your other. You were feeling a bit giddy, very hopeful that General Hux would make the most of the night with you before the vacation ended. Like the previous time, there was a chance sex would not be introduced fully into the equation. More foreplay like the night before was warmly welcomed by you. You wanted him to be in control this time. His hands on you with the oils. You would wear the panties. On that note, you grabbed two more pairs. Desire flashed in Armitage’s eyes; you knew that he was aware of your plans.

“Should we move your things into my room, or would you prefer I move into yours for the night?”

“Yours, I think. The bed is a little bigger,” you said, a skip in your step. “Are you sending out the notice after we return?”

“Mm… Yes, I planned to allow a little more time for the others to relax and enjoy themselves before delivering the news. This will still allow ample time for them to ready for it all.”

You doubted this was something he would have admitted to had there been other officers around. General Hux did not need his subordinates to view him as _nice_. He needed their respect to ensure that things ran smoothly. You took it as a compliment that he had shared the information with you in this manner. His openness was refreshing, and it told you that he had taken your words to heart in order to prevent you from being too intimidated when it came to speaking with him in terms of your relationship.

The pair of you browsed the shop a little while longer before moving over to the cashier. You had a nervous grin on your face as the items were unloaded from the basket—you generally shopped via the holonet and had things delivered. General Hux had assumed a sabbacc face. The woman on the other side of the counter smiled to herself. She no doubt encountered plenty of individuals who became shy about what they were purchasing. She set each item, one by one, into a black shopping bag. You were thankful for the more discreet wrapping; it did not even have the shop’s name present. This was clearly a shop that was respectful of its patrons.

One thing you did feel a little awkward about was the total cost. You had hardly paid attention to all the prices, and you wanted to offer to reimburse Armitage. You kept your silence, however, and knew that if there had been an issue, he would have voiced his concern. He had, after all, been the one to offer to pay for everything.

After he had given the correct number of credits, General Hux lifted the bag and held the door open for you. You were going to miss this show of chivalry when the vacation ended. It would be viewed as unprofessional if the General of the First Order was holding open doors for his subordinate, whether you were on duty or not. It was a military vessel, that was enough. You thanked the redhead while you walked past him. Armitage murmured a _you’re welcome_ then moved to follow you.

You looked to the right and then the left, taking in the various shops that were present. This was clearly a tourist area; it was not the first time you had had that thought, but it was the first time you had truly appreciated it. Being here made you feel a little normal rather than viewing yourself as a mere officer of the First Order. There were thousands like you on the different bases. Hundreds of thousands even. Signing your life and loyalties to the cause of bettering the galaxy. You enjoyed the civilian life sometimes.

Knowing that this would be your last day, you searched the names of the shops for one that would grab you. You wanted to make this day as worthwhile as possible. As for the night… Well, your toes curled when you thought of the way you and Armitage would utilize some of the items that had been purchased.

“We should get a cup of caf,” you said with a playful wiggle of your eyebrows. The man smirked knowingly. One last hurrah for the café in which the two of you had met; where you had been stood up only for General Hux himself to admit that he was interested in you. It was like poetry to you. The beginning and the ending of your vacation. This time it would be with joy that you entered the café, not apprehension. And you would not be dismayed when you exited and walked back to your room. You would be excited, giddy, and probably turned on since you would allow your mind to further wander with thoughts of the night to come.

General Hux adjusted the bag so that it was more on his wrist rather than in his hand. He then placed a hand on your lower back, gently urging you forward. You shifted closer to him, your side bumping into his as the two of you began walking together towards the café. Given that the vacation would soon be ending, you imagined that he had already sent word in regards to there needing to be paperwork for the two of you to fill out. Armitage did not comment on it, which you took to mean that he did not want to ruin the mood at all.

You breathed in the fresh air, tilting back your had and looking up at the sky. Maker, you were going to miss the brightness, the sunlight. You would enjoy the view of all the stars, of course. There were spectacular scenes that could be observed only in space. You hoped to take the time between shifts to enjoy such things.

“Do you star gaze at all?” you asked Armitage. Rather than reply with words, the man hummed as though he was not certain he did have an answer. You wondered if he was considering whether or not seeing the stars while running the ship constituted correct stargazing. “Oh, Armitage,” you said with a laugh. “You really are a workaholic.” You did not say this meanly.

“Perhaps I am,” General Hux said, tapping your hip with his finger. “But, as promised, I will make time for you.” That he had added this without any further prompting from you made your heart swell with glee.

Arriving at the café, the two of you did not go to the counter, but instead found two vacant chairs that were in a corner. You curled up on one while Armitage sat next to you on the other. The chairs were at an angle so that you could see one another’s face. Between them was a small table on which food and drinks could be set. Neither of you were yet ready to order. Your eyes darted to the menu twice to see if anything specific caught your eye. You wanted something different than the usual.

“Are you going to get your ginger drink?” you asked, chuckling a little when you said _ginger_. 

Armitage smirked at you. “I enjoy drinking it while my ginger cat sits with me.” You perked up when he played along. “And what of you? Feeling rather adventurous?”

“Yup,” you said as you flashed a grin. Sobering a little, you scanned the café to make sure no one was listening in. You brush your fingers through your hair. “Tonight… Were you, uh, wanting to…take lead?”

“I was hoping to.” The conversation was put on pause as a woman walked over to ask if you two wanted to order anything. You hummed, looked at the menu once more, and ordered a flavor of caf you had never before tried. Armitage, meanwhile, did indeed ask for the ginger caf with no cream. He was certainly set in his ways when it came to some things. The woman wrote down everything, including the slice of cake the redhead said the two of you would share. It was something that would compliment both flavors of drink. When she left, Armitage returned his full attention to you. “I do agree that we should take our time. That being said, would you be opposed to a few items?”

“Which ones?” you asked, tilting your head to the side as curiosity began to fill you.

General Hux rested his arms on the armrests and leaned further against the back of the chair. His eyes flicked over to the counter. The drinks were nearly finished. You nodded to let him know that you understood he would wait until the food and drinks were brought so that the conversation would not be interrupted. While you waited, you looked over at the opposite end of the café. It had a loveseat with two pillows. The tables were mostly empty. The same woman who had taken the order came to place the tray that carried the two cups of caf and the slice of cake with two forks on the table. You thanked her before she left.

Armitage set the pad of his finger on the rim of the cup. You blinked in wonder. There was steam coming out. “I can feel the heat,” the redhead said, preempting your question. You shook your head, in awe over the control he had. “One pair of the panties…perhaps the blindfold, however I am content to leave that for another time. One of the massage oils. I wish to focus on exploring your body.”

“You’re going to spoil me,” you said wistfully, biting the tip of your tongue gently and looking at the slice of cake. “That’s pretty fair, though. I sort of took my turn last night.” You cleared your throat. “Uhm… Actual…uh…” It was an awkward question to ask.

Chuckling, Armitage responded without making you say it. “I believe it would be wise to hold off on penetrative intercourse until the paperwork is filled. The question is vague on the paperwork. It asks about sex specifically and not foreplay in terms of what has been committed, if anything, prior to filling out the forms. There are other forms if we did wish to disclose our relations.”

“Nope. Holding off is fine,” you said, wincing at the thought that anyone would be allowed to see the full details of what you did with your sex life.

You picked up your cup of caf. This one was an iced beverage; you had already burnt your tongue enough for your tastes, no pun intended. You sipped it, ran your tongue along the back of your teeth, and nodded your approval. It was a good flavor. And it had ginger in it, which made you smile to yourself. You extended your hand, offering the drink to your date while asking him to try it. General Hux withdrew his hand from his cup in favor of seizing yours. He took a quick drink of it, humming in pleasure as he returned it to you.

The redhead lifted up one of the forks and stabbed it into the cake. Rather than take the bite himself, he offered it to you. You leaned forward, wrapping your lips around the fork and smirking a little—he had clearly intended for you to take the fork from him. General Hux swallowed thickly, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips.

You moaned at the flavor, backing away and settling in your chair. “You should try it.”

“I will be trying it,” he whispered, his eyes hungrily dropping to your lap. You felt your body reacting. You squirmed a little, pressing your thighs together and grabbed your cup of caf to do something with your mouth. Armitage tasted the cake next. He groaned, and your toes curled. The two of you were keeping your noises at a low volume so that no one paid too much attention. You did not want to attract the notice of potential voyeurs—especially if another officer happened to enter the café at all. “I would not be opposed to returning after this. I can order to have dinner delivered. There are holovideos.”

“Sold,” you said, bouncing a little. You felt a bit foolish afterwards, until you saw the way Armitage smiled at your reaction. He was every bit as anxious to have his hands on you as you were to be touched by him.

You picked up your fork. The two of you shared the cake between drinking your respective cups of caf. You wondered which of the oils he would be wanting to try out first. You hoped to return the favor as well, if he had knots in his shoulders from constantly keeping a rigid posture you wanted to help ease them. Even if he objected to the oils, you would rub his shoulders. You eyed said portion of his anatomy.

“I see that you plan to spoil me as well,” the man drawled. You nodded. “This is a vacation to be remembered.”

“Oh, it will be,” you said with a smug grin. Though you were excited to return to the room, you took your time with eating the cake and enjoying your cup of caf. There were hours more to go. No need to rush past this portion of foreplay. Teasing. Watching one another’s mouth moving, lips wrapping around forks. His tongue tracing along his lips again when he knew you were staring.

Kriff, you were excited to have that tongue buried in you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is going to have some more smutty goodness obviously. We'll soon be moving on to the Finalizer as well. And that's where things may just get complicated.


	11. Then Comes a Nibble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be updated yesterday, however I am a master at getting distracted...and then falling asleep when there are only a few things more to write.
> 
> Anyhow! Happy New Year!

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

_Eleven_

Then Comes a Nibble

 

As ready for him to touch you as you were, General Hux decided to allow you to drown in the anticipation of it all a little while longer. Your belongings had been taken to his room; as this was occurring, you had ducked into the lavatory to change into the edible panties. You ran a finger along the straps that crossed on your thigh. Aside from this, you wore your bra and a long shirt that buttoned in the front. It hung down past your rear, covering the panties. You gazed at your reflection in the mirror. Stars, you looked flustered already. This largely had to do with the fact that Armitage had already told you he would first order a holovideo. Food would be brought when the pair of you were hungry. He was doing what he could to ensure there would be no interruptions. For this, you were grateful. Not that this eliminated your growing levels of impatience. You wanted his hands on you. You had every desire to feel how he handled you when he was the one in charge.

 

The door to the room opened then closed. Your eyes darted to the surface that concealed you from the redhead on the other side. The clerk had brought the holovideos, or else had had a droid deliver them. You were unaware of their titles, having told Armitage that you wanted a surprise. His response to you was that it would _not_ be porn. You had snorted at this, stifling a laugh with your hand as you ducked into the refresher.

 

You twisted the handle, stepping into the room and earning the man’s attention immediately. His eyes wandered along your body, lingering on your thighs. You, meanwhile, glanced towards the bedside table. One of the massage oils was there. You grinned, quite happy with the fact that he would be using it later. The silk blindfold was beside it. As for the purple restraints, those were missing. You blinked owlishly and commented on this. General Hux smirked, responding that the pair of you would utilize that on an occasion where penetration would be involved.

 

Armitage climbed onto the bed after starting one of the holovids. You stared at the motion picture whilst joining him. It was an action flick, which nearly made you laugh. You _loved_ that he was, when it came down to it, a typical guy. A typical _person_. For so long in your career and life you had believed that was not quite human. Demanding perfection, if not then at the very least near-perfection. While this could be true when it came to business, on a personal level he was different. And, aware how Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren could be, it was no wonder that Armitage Hux wanted nothing less than one’s best. Not to mention how the late Brendol Hux had been.

 

You pushed these thoughts away, opting to instead think only of the film being shown, of the man you were with. He had shifted so that he was sitting cross-legged behind you. The oil was within reach, as was the blindfold. You bit your bottom lip at the thought that he might cover your eyes at any given moment. That he would touch you.

 

His hands moved your hair aside, ensuring the back of your neck was visible to him, then touched either of your shoulder blades. You tensed at the contact before regaining control of yourself enough to relax. Armitage spread his hands, maneuvering them past your arms, over your sides, and onto your breasts. He cupped you for a brief second then dropped his limbs to your belly. It was difficult, damn near impossible, to pay attention to the holovideo despite the suspenseful scene that was unfolding. He was somehow successfully watching the movie while using his hands to explore your body. You leaned back into his touch, and rested your head on his sternum. It was not an entirely comfortable position, however it allowed you to peer up at his face when you tilted back your head.

 

Armitage dropped his gaze from the film to your face. His lips quirked into a smirk. “I am biding my time while I debate whether or not I will use the blindfold this time.” You _loved_ the utterance of _this time_ ; loved the fact that there would be more in the future even after the vacation ended.

 

“Mm,” you hummed out, reaching up to stroke the side of his face. “I think it could be interesting. The first time…when we… When we have sex the first time, I don’t want to use the blindfold then. I want to see your face while you’re inside of me.”

 

His lips parted, his breath hissing out as he stared down at you hungrily. You watched as he trailed his tongue along his lips. Sitting up, you grinned to yourself while the mattress shifted, the movement indicating that he was reaching for the blindfold. You remained perfectly still as the silk met your flesh, covered your eyes and blocked out vision. Excitement flared within you.

 

You sucked in your breath when you felt his arms encircle you. His fingers worked open the buttons on your shirt. You gripped the blankets to keep from assisting him; you wanted him in complete control. His breath hit the back of your neck. It was hot, and, stars, it made you so wet. You could already imagine how it would feel on you. His breath. His mouth. His tongue.

 

The pads of his fingers made your flesh feel as though it were on fire in the best of ways. He dipped them past the material of the shirt you wore, his thumbs pushing at the cloth so that it slid over your shoulders and then began its descent down the length of your arms while his hands remained on your arms. He experimentally wrapped his hands around your shoulders, the heels of his hands pressing forward. Your eyelashes fluttered underneath the blindfold. His grip was gentle, yet so strong. You pictured him pinning you down and fucking you. What would his fingers feel like inside of you? Maker, you wanted him to touch you everywhere.

 

Instead he removed his hands from you, and you were unable to stop the whine that rose in your throat. Your face was hot at the sound of his chuckle. You held one hand with the other, curling your knees towards your chest and tilting your head to the side to hear what he was doing. The sound of an object sliding against wood—he was grabbing the oil from the bedside table. You swayed a little as you listened to him opening the bottle.

 

You were normally far more patient than this. Perhaps, you thought, it had much to do with the fact that you would not have him inside of you until after the paperwork was complete. That fact was driving you wild. Knowing that you would have a taste of him again as you had the other night. A small nibble, but no the whole meal.

 

When his hands next touched your shoulders, you could feel the slickness that covered them. They shifted immediately, running backwards before executing a quick lunge underneath your arms to grab your breasts. His hands slipped past your bra. You gasped, toes grabbing at the blankets as they curled. Armitage tugged you backwards. You could feel the lip of the bottle on your lower back; he had nestled between his legs so that it would not spill. His thumbs swiped a trail back and forth along the side of your breasts then joined his forefingers at your nipples, pinching them.

 

You grabbed at his thighs, using them to keep yourself as steady as possible. Your flesh tingled wherever the oil touched it. It aided in relaxing you simultaneous to heightening your arousal. You started to shift your hand further towards his lap, stopping only when his mouth, suddenly beside your ear, emitted a _tsk_. This time you could not hold in your pout. Nor the needy whine that you unashamedly let loose. His nose skimmed along your earlobe, lips puckering and giving you a peck of a kiss to the side of your head.

 

“You’re doing wonders for my confidence right now,” he whispered. You took it as the compliment that it was intended to be. What he was doing right now… It was so easy for you to forget that he had less experience than you did. Maker, he was a natural. The perfect amount of pressure as he kneaded your breasts. The right amount of strength when he again touched your shoulders, down your arms. Massaging your body. Touching nearly everywhere except for below your stomach.

 

And you wanted those hands on your thighs. Between them.

 

“I…hmm….oh! I always thought I was… _gnnnn_ …” You shuddered, gulping when his hands left you in favor of grabbing more oil. “…more patient…”

 

“You do sound quite… _desperate_ for my hands on you,” Armitage purred.

 

“In me,” you corrected, turning your head as though you could see him. You silently cursed the blindfold, yet at the same time adored it for limiting your senses. Not being able to see the expression on his face made shivers run down your spine.

 

Armitage took one hand off of you. You could feel the mattress shifting again, heard the light _clunk_ of the bottle being replaced on the bedside table. The redhead moved to where you could no longer touch his thighs. He rounded you, pushing you onto your back. You furrowed your brow, listening as his muffled footsteps on the rug let you know that he had climbed off the bed. First one hand then the other seized your ankles. You gave a small yelp of surprise when he yanked you downwards. Your heart felt as though it had leapt into your chest at the momentary sensation that had flooded you, the feeling that you were going to be pulled all the way off the bed and fall to the ground.

 

“It seems you still need some lessons in trust,” Armitage teased. You sighed, forcing yourself to relax. Deep down, you _did_ know that he would not pull you off in the bed, not in a way that would hurt you. It had been a while since you had trusted someone—fully trusted them like this. You most often found yourself the dominant partner in bed. Not that you didn’t relinquish control every so often. Overall though? “Are you still comfortable?”

 

“Yes.” You said this without hesitation, your voice soft so that you could hear him. The way the material of his pants shifted with each movement he made. His hands roamed up your legs, starting at your ankles and coming to a stop on your thighs. You began to spread your legs—and then his limbs reversed their direction.

 

You mentally cursed him, wiggling your hips and struggling against the urge to literally throw yourself at him. Doing so blindly… You wondered if he would catch you, or if he would step out of the way so that you would crash into something? You doubted, when you thought on it more, that he would allow you to crash. Sidestep so that his hands caught you from behind? Quite possibly.

 

Puffing up your cheeks, you flicked your toes back and forth while Armitage traced one finger along your knees. It tickled a little. Not enough to get you to laugh, however enough that you squirmed. Armitage again chuckled. It sounded deeper, more amused. As though he were growing more and more comfortable with you. That, or he was less nervous committing himself to these acts he had not practiced before; less nervous because you could not see if he fumbled at all.

 

He walked two fingers up your right leg until he was able to pinch at the bottom strap of the thong. When those digits left you, the mattress dipped under his added weight. You felt his forearms on either side of you. With your legs spread a fraction, you were comfortable as his chest settled on the bed between them. Something wet met your flesh directly above the hem of the panties. You wound your legs around the man as his tongue waggled against you. His teeth then skimmed where his tongue had been.

 

“It’s rather sweet,” he remarked. You swallowed thickly, lips quivering when next you opened your mouth. No words came from you. You were far too focused on the task of trying to keep your breathing as level as possible. It was shaky. Gasps wrenched from you as his mouth sealed over both the panty and your skin right above. His hands, smoother now after having handled the oil, kneading the muscles in your thighs. You rocked forward, bucking your hips and rolling them. His tongue undulated against you, dipping past the panties—his teeth tugged, ripping a small chunk away. Rather than focus on what was now in his mouth, he parted his lips. His warm breath mingled with the wetness of his saliva and the sticky substance the bitten portion of the panty was becoming. Your hands abandoned the blankets in favor of now holding the back of his head. Your fingers threaded in his hair, and again you bucked upwards, shifting so that his mouth was more in line with where you wanted him to touch you. “Mm… Take off your bra.”

 

You did not hesitate to obey. It gave you something to do; you were supposed to be letting him take the lead, and you were starting to struggle on that front. You wanted nothing more than to flip him over, to grind down against his face as you pinned him.

 

“Perhaps we should have grabbed the restraints,” he teased, as though he was able to read your thoughts. You had no response for him other than a whimper that sounded desperate, needy, even to your ears. The man above you groaned in response, the tips of his fingers beginning to dig into the flesh of your thighs as he once more made to devour the thin, edible material that was blocking him from his goal.

 

His moans were only encouraging you to again grab at his hair. This time he said nothing; his mouth was far too busy. You hooked one of your legs higher up on him, bending it over his shoulder as his attention shifted further down. His mouth was at long last aligned with your entrance. If only the panties weren’t still present, you thought as you gulped down air. Armitage tugged at the layer with his teeth, ripping more, nudging it with his nose and chin. The moment his tongue touched you, you moaned out his name.

 

For a man who was seemingly out of practice, he was skilled—he was perfect, your mind shot.

 

Armitage released your thighs, instead hooking his arms underneath your legs and cupping your ass so that he was able to pull you closer.

 

In the back of your mind, you were again cursing the paperwork that was making it to where the two of you couldn’t fuck yet. His tongue filled you so nicely, and you couldn’t help but wonder how his cock would feel. It would stretch you. Completely full, your mind supplied. You would be completely filled. The thought had you gasping, your orgasm crashing over you—prematurely, maybe. In waves that the man teased out of you. Deliciously. Perfectly. His kisses up and down you, that skilled tongue prodding at your clit, rolling it. He suckled at you, alternating between slurping your juices and teasing you, prolonging your orgasm.

 

It felt as though your senses were heightened far beyond anything you had felt in the past; this was a first for you, the blindfold.

 

Armitage caught your wrists when you started to lift your arms to rid yourself of the silk. When he pulled back, you were brought with him. To keep from slipping to the ground, you weakly wound your legs around his body. At the same time, the redhead drew your arms closer, hooking them behind his neck. His hands were again on your ass, again supporting you as he held your full weight. Stars did you feel weightless even if you knew otherwise.

 

His clothed erection prodded at you. You rolled your hips once, halting in your movements only when he softly told you to. It was equally sweet and frustrating. A reminder that paperwork was to be done. A reminder that you would have him in the future. Though it meant an end to your vacation, you _wanted_ to board the _Finalizer_. Now.

 

You pursed your lips, hating the thought that arose. You were going to be distracted until he fucked you. As much as you could, you would not allow it to interfere with your work. That did not mean that it wouldn’t. The reality of having a relationship with this man was hitting more and more. The good aspects, the bad. You curled your toes, nuzzling him and blindly finding the nook between his neck and shoulder. It was there that you rested your face.

“I know you love work, but…” You hesitated, silencing yourself and waiting. General Hux swayed a little, rocking you while pressing his lips to your head. “Until you fuck me, I don’t know if I’ll be able to concentrate.”

 

“Perhaps we’ll have to learn to multitask,” he murmured. You nodded without fully digesting his words. Then paused when they hit you in full, and you pictured yourself, bent over a console while on the bridge. You doubted he meant public sex. Reading through reports and having sex? That was doable. “Are you laughing?”

 

You realized that your body was trembling with your contained giggles. “Just… My mind went places.”

 

“Oh?” You nodded. “Hmm… I may have an inkling of the locations.” He likely did. The man’s mind was amazing, which is something you had learned over the course of the past few days. He understood you better than a lot of former lovers and boyfriends. “I doubt I would publicly have sex.”

 

There was a strain to his voice. You remembered how he had put up a front with you before admitting that he felt inexperienced. You inwardly gushed over his shyness. Biting down on your bottom lip, you thought of all the things you would introduce him to when he was finally able to be inside of you.


	12. Abrupt Transitions

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

****

_Twelve_

Abrupt Transitions

Along with the transport shuttles that would be taking you and the others to the _Finalizer_ , several stormtroopers arrived on the planet. They served as guards for General Hux, who acted for all the galaxy as though he did not notice them. This was the norm for him. You, meanwhile, could not help but stare. It was not often that you were present when a superior officer was being transferred to a new base or returning from vacation. While any attack of the First Order by the Resistance would lead to retaliation, if an officer of Hux’s standing were murdered, that would give the Resistance far too much power. Especially a public attack like this would be. Not some space battle.

 

All that had been purchased in the shop had been packed away in General Hux’s bags. They would not be at risk for inspection in the same way that yours were. You were grateful that the redhead had had the foresight to ensure privacy was respected. He boarded a more heavily guarded transport shuttle, meanwhile you found yourself occupying a different one. Other officers who had been on vacation as well were piled inside. You noted several frowns. Their disappointment was obvious, and you could not say that you blamed them. If it had not been for the fact that you wanted to get the paperwork done and over with, you likely would have been feeling rather let down as well.

 

The standard procedure was to execute several jumps into hyperspace before arriving at the _Finalizer_ —or whatever Star Destroyer one was traveling to. This prevented other ships, namely the Resistance, from easily tracking down the First Order. You imagined that the enemy had similar tactics for identical reasons.

 

While some of the officers took to chatting amongst themselves, you remained quiet. You were mentally going through what you would write on the forms that you would soon be filling out. Armitage and you had discussed how much information would be divulged without anyone pressuring the two of you to say more. How the relationship began—he had stated that it was acceptable to include the truth here. You had scowled at the idea of others knowing you had been duped. Granted, the outcome was pleasant, it wasn’t something you were particularly fond of. There was no way out of it, though; an official report was being drawn up, and this would have been occurring regardless if you had pursued a relationship with your superior or not.

 

That term caused a sense of giddiness to strike through your somewhat sour mood. Relationship. It was nerve-wracking in many respects, moreso now that the vacation had come to an end. You would soon be learning if this relationship was something that could last or not. The First Order kept one busy. You would have plenty of work that would occupy your time; had been dating an officer closer to your rank, however, you would have found time between shifts in order to engage one another. With General Hux, it was certainly a different story. He was the lead officer on the _Finalizer_. Your peers and superiors alike would be reporting to him, asking him for advice on matters. He had promised you that he would ensure the two of you had time together, even if it had to be brief messages or video chats depending on the workload.

 

As if the paperwork for your relationship wasn’t enough, upon arriving on the Star Destroyer, you and other newcomers to the _Finalizer_ were asked to fill out several forms. There had been upgrades to some of the systems, and this was to cover their asses in case anyone had not received the proper training. Those who had not received training already were to fill out an extra form that would enroll them in a group of four lessons that would bring them up to date. You were already knowledgeable when it came to this new system. That gave you three less forms to work on.

 

Orientation consisted of be handed the basic schematics of the Star Destroyer, the portions each individual would be working on highlighted for their benefit. From there, everyone split into groups to be personally shown the areas. All the while, the guide reminded their party of the rules. Most regulations within the First Order were standard in all areas, however there were precautionary measures that did vary depending upon what machines, droids, and even which officers were present. Of course, there was also the added fact that Commander Kylo Ren was known to frequent this Star Destroyer. That meant that others needed to keep their shit together. If the Force user destroyed property due to someone else’s blunder, it was coming out of their paycheck.

 

There was a brief recess during orientation wherein all were taken to the cafeteria to grab a quick meal and/or use the lavatories. You exited the refresher after washing your hands then picked up a tray, standing in line for the food. Your stomach grumbled, although not necessarily in enthusiasm over the food that was present. It would be bland, you knew, and yet this was what you had grown accustomed to over the course of your training and while assigned to other duty stations. You followed one of the other officers who was going through orientation with you to a table. The two of you sat side-by-side without talking to one another. This was not the time for idle chatter. You needed to eat and get back on your feet before the guide became impatient. She had her own duties to attend to when she was finished with this task.

 

It was due to orientation that you were not able to move into your bunk until after shift change. This meant that you were delayed in receiving the forms that had been forwarded to your device by General Hux. Along with them were two more messages, the first asking what was taking you so long as the redhead wondered if you were having second thoughts—and here he added that it was understandable. Your lips twitched into a smile then a frown, and you at last sighed, wondering if the man had been worrying too much. The second message from him revealed that he had been informed of the fact that you were still going through orientation; he had forgotten that you were less familiar with the _Finalizer_ than some of the others who had been on vacation.

 

Rolling your eyes while shaking your head, you found yourself grinning widely enough that you garnered some stares from a few of your bunkmates. That was one thing you were not too pleased about, though you had known it was coming. Less privacy. You sincerely hoped that Armitage would allow you to sleep in his quarters when you had time off. Not only for the privacy either. You were rather excited at the idea of meeting Millicent. Memories of her pictures had you quickly opening the files that contained the forms.

 

Along with the blank forms, General Hux had sent you a copy of what he had put. You quirked a single brow and wondered if that was allowable. Not that anyone would call him out on it. It was simply that generally these things were filled out separately in order to catch any lies told by either party. This also ensured a superior officer did not coerce a subordinate into having sex with them. Blackmail sex was not allowable. The First Order had standards.

 

As you were beginning to include details of your career in the First Order—also standard and used to prevent a subordinate or superior from taking advantage of the other—there was a ding that allowed you to know another message came through. You set aside the task you had been completing in favor of checking what it was; it would be ill-advised to let a possible command sit there unheeded. A form to follow up the incident that had led you to meeting General Hux in that café. You inwardly groaned and re-opened the other forms. You were despising paperwork already. You couldn’t help but wonder what Armitage would say to that. You were able to picture him scowling and shaking his head.

 

You dosed off shortly after you completed all the paperwork. Your dreams were of filling out countless forms, mountains of unfinished datapads and pages constantly appearing all around you. You swore upon waking and promised yourself that you would avoid situations wherein forms were necessary for as long as possible.

 

A major change, for you, was that vacation ending meant that you were no longer allowed to wear comfortable clothes. It was back to donning your uniform. This brought a smile to your face, warming your mood, as it reminded you of the sight of General Hux wearing his uniform while on the beach.

 

He was in that same—or, at least, an identical—uniform when you walked past him on your way to the duty station you had been assigned for the week. Your eyes flicked up and down his body before you could catch yourself. He spared you a glance, however said nothing to you, not even a brief greeting. You knew, deep down, that you should not take offense to this; he was trying to not draw extra attention, attempting to prevent any bias from forming when it came to the business part of your relationship. But it did sting. You bit the insides of your cheek to keep from saying something under your breath.

 

 _He could have sent a 'good morning' message. Something. Anything. Kriff..._  

 

You had expected a little more of a transition between vacation-Hux, who spoke to you, and working-Hux, who was stern the majority of the time. He did speak with officers closer to his own rank while smirking or, if the occasion called for it, an occasional grin. A smug grin though. Never tender, not like how he had been with you.

 

Swallowing down your mild case of disappointment, you focused once more on arriving on time for your shift. You had a good feeling—or, perhaps, a bad feeling—that if you were late due to sulking over General Hux not greeting you, he would be far from thrilled and quite possibly end the relationship before it truly began to get on its feet. As you dropped into your seat, you thought to yourself that you should have grabbed some extra caf. Your mind kept telling itself that it was still on vacation mode. You fought against that, at times mouthing the words _no, you’re not_ whilst hoping no one noticed.

 

Not being assigned to the bridge, you found yourself with too much time on your hands between running through the system to ensure there were no bugs and that all was running well. A Star Destroyer had many eyes aside from yours that looked in on things. When not engaged in combat, sometimes those onboard found themselves a little bored. That was when they were given time to go to the practice ranges. Some individuals were sent on missions, although this generally occurred only with higher ranking officers. Meeting with those who supplied weapons and funding was a task a newbie could royally screw up.

 

Now _those_ were horror stories that had left you nervous back when you were in the academy. Rookies screwing up. Tales that those rookies were never to be seen again, likely killed or going AWOL. Some said Kylo Ren used them as practice targets for his lightsaber, that that was where the ash collection came from. Others had told you that General Hux and more of the superior officers flushed the individuals out an airlock. You could hardly help but wonder if any of those theories would ring true for the individual who had made a profile using Armitage’s information.

 

 _Although_ , you noted, _why all the paperwork then? It would hurt them, not cover their asses._

 

Perhaps the officer who had performed the scam was related to another general or admiral. You were not going to question it. If General Hux _was_ thinking of getting a darker form of revenge, you did not want to draw attention to your curiosity. Not that he would hurt you. It would just make things between the two of you far too messy.

 

You did not see the redhead again during your shift, nor after it. You imagined he was on the bridge most of that time. Otherwise he would be consulting with Supreme Leader Snoke about any number of projects. The largest one was Starkiller Base, of course. You knew that it was a weapon with a power similar to the Empire’s Death Star. Of this, you have mixed feelings. You did not like to think about the casualties of war. You were fighting to better the galaxy for them; it was why you had joined the First Order. The New Republic was flawed, selfish even. Many matters that you opposed in terms of the New Republic, the First Order had a perspective you were able to support.

 

That did not mean you blindly obeyed to where you didn’t question some tactics. When it came to Starkiller Base, you did not know if the First Order planned to utilize the weapon immediately, or if it was a worst-case scenario sort of thing. You were hoping for the latter.

 

More often than not, however, you simply did not think about it. You pushed aside those darker aspects of the war and focused on your tasks. When not working, that was why you had books to occupy your mind. Unfortunately for you, you were not in a reading mood when your shift ended. This remained true even after you grabbed a bite for dinner. You arrived at your bunk, feeling bored and restless, and attempted to remain moderately quiet so as to not awaken your bunkmates who were on a different shift than you were.

 

A light flashing on your datapad caught your eye. You knit your brow, drawing the device onto your lap and staring at the icon that informed you of a file that had been sent. You hesitated in opening it; the sender was a camera aboard the Star Destroyer, not a person. One of your superiors had to have authorized this. Or there had been a mistake. You closed one eye, squinting the other while you debated if you should look or not.

 

Curiosity won out, and it gave birth to your happiness over seeing a cat.

 

You were startled to see the interior of the general’s private quarters. You had known they would be immaculate, however you hadn’t taken into consideration that he would have a cat tower by his bed. You guessed that Millicent’s litterbox was in the man’s refresher. She, meanwhile, was rolling around on the floor with a toy tooka that likely had catnip inside.

 

This was the perfect way to end your day, you thought. And it was the best sign that Armitage did care, even if he had to put on a pretense of indifference during the workday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Starkiller thing, I'm utilizing a suggestion made by Alice_in_Yaoiland several chapters back.
> 
> This was the "transition" chapter. There will be more Hux/Reader interactions in the next one though!


	13. A Bit of Deprivation

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

 

_Thirteen_

 

A Bit of Deprivation

 

With the paperwork at last filed and in the process of being finalized by the other superior officers who were onboard the _Finalizer_ , you were eagerly awaiting to see what change there would be in General Hux’s approach with you. You knew that he would not jeopardize your career nor his with the relationship that was building between the two of you. There would be little to no public displays of affection. That did not mean there would be an absence of subtle signs that he cared for you. Those were what you were most looking forward to. Learning his body language, how he acted towards someone he cared for. Him sending the video of Millicent was small, yet such a large move from him as well. Not only had he displayed his cat—which he adored—the man had also allowed you a glimpse of his private quarters. It was intimate.

 

The officer who was serving as your primary supervisor was an individual you had been stationed with in the past on a different vessel. She recognized you, commenting on a mutual acquaintance who had been like a mentor to the both of you. You were able to work while speaking. With the lack of a space battle, not even a small skirmish taking place, you did not have to rush through any routines. Your supervisor was able to maintain an air of professionalism while you spoke. There would be no preferential treatment if you stepped out of line. You liked that; it was one of the many reasons you respected this woman.

 

Given her position above you, you knew that she was aware of your relationship with General Hux. That did not come up in conversation. You preferred it this way. Without a doubt, not long would go by before the entire _Finalizer_ knew. Or perhaps it would hit in smaller sections. There were thousands of people on this vessel. You would not meet them all even if you were stationed here for years. This coming to your mind, you felt a mild sense of relief…until you realized that if General Hux ever took you to a public event, the entire First Order would know of your relationship with him.

 

It was not that you were embarrassed of the man with whom you were entering a relationship. You simply did not want anyone to think you slept your way to the top, to treat you any differently in the hopes that you would convince Armitage to promote them, listen to their ideas, and more. That would be annoying, not to mention a test of the strength of your relationship. You pushed aside these inevitabilities and focused on your work instead.

 

When your shift ended, you were once more greeted with a message from the redhead. He had given you the passcode to the camera, which allowed you to open the feed to view Millicent.

 

As you watched the ginger tabby sleep while curled up, you tilted your head to the side and considered how you would have reacted if you had caught Armitage in the room. He clearly did trust you, handing over control in this manner. It excited you in more than one way. Your eyes darted about. You were looking for any storage areas that you could view with the camera, hoping to discover where it was he had stored the toys that you and he would use when there was time for the two of you to meet.

 

Your toes curled. Maker, you wanted him.

 

You had miscalculated how much work would get in the way of that plan—the one where the two of you at long last were able to _fully_ indulge. You wondered if the tension would grow into a distraction; that is, if the pair of you worked in the same room. Say, if you were assigned to the bridge? You groaned at the thought, your toes curling and your shoulders slumping as a mixture of frustration and delight rolled through you. There was a part of you that was beginning to believe you would secretly enjoy such a situation. Being able to observe how your presence influenced the general. Not enough where either of you grew sloppy in your work. No; you would ask to be assigned to a different task for the day if that began to occur. You would not jeopardize the lives of all aboard the ship for the sake of sexual tension.

 

Continuing to observe the slumbering feline, you pressed the tip of your tongue against the back of your teeth. There was no battle being waged right then. As far as you knew, General Hux was pulling another double—triple?—shift. He was likely tired. No doubt stressed in some way. The man was back to being that wears-a-uniform-on-the-beach ginger. He was giving you a sense of relief through access of the camera. Was he watching her in his free time? You couldn’t help but picture him sneaking peeks at the cat on that mini device of his. It was something that _you_ would definitely do if given the chance.

 

And while you could not send him any nudes—yes, the thought passed through your mind—you did want to send him something. Something to cheer him up, to tide him over until the two of you could meet up.

 

You debated how risqué you wanted to be. Having him grow flustered might irritate him, mainly due to the fact that you doubted the pair of you could work off that tension. _Maybe not a picture then_. You could always do that later. A cute message? _Unless he doesn’t like cute._

 

You _could_ make a reference to the book that the two of you had read together. Make a comment about leather gloves.

 

_Whatever. I’m going to send him something to get the juices flowing._

 

You opened a new tab on your datapad, your heart beginning to hammer in your chest as you debated whether or not this counted as misuse of the messaging system—of First Order time and supplies. It was morale boost, right? It was good to show that you supported your superior. Besides that, you were off duty and he did not have to look at the message unless he had time to do so. On that same note, you wanted it to be at least _slightly_ subtle in case anyone was looking over his shoulder.

 

Millicent seems to enjoy playing with all her toys. I don’t think the camera shows all the toys that are in your quarters though.

It as not as dirty as you had originally intended. You liked it though. It did not sound desperate; it was playful, would allow him to know what you were thinking about—the bindings and panties and blindfold and…everything—but also was innocuous enough that, if anyone _was_ looking over his shoulder, they would not necessarily know of the sexual nature. You chewed on your bottom lip whilst mulling over whether or not to send the message off. Were the risks worth it? Your record was clean, really. A verbal warning for misuse of the messaging system was something you would risk. You tapped the icon then reopened the feed to watch Millicent. She was awake now.

 

She also wasn’t alone. You grinned like a madwoman as you heard a chime come from the device that was clasped in General Hux’s hands. Armitage looked down, his swear trailing off into a thoughtful hum. He had likely believed it was work calling him back. A summons to the bridge. Realizing that it was _you_ , however had his shoulders relaxing. This time when he swore, it was breathless and not out of irritation. Your grin grew, your toes curling as you leaned forward, shifting closer to the screen.

 

Armitage looked up at the camera. He quirked a single brow, as though considering the chances that you were at that very moment watching him.

 

Well, you weren’t going to leave him hanging.

 

You typed up another quick message, your fingers flying across the virtual keypad.

 

_Why don’t you give me a tour?_

 

The smirk that crossed his features had your breath hitching. It promised a lot. That the next time he saw you, he would not be able to keep his hands off of you. That he was going to humor your request.

 

Of course, that did not mean that you had expected him to begin removing his clothing. Armitage undid his belt, setting it on a chair, and then shrugged out of his shirt. He went for his boots next. There was no production. No dance, no subtle displays of skin that grew until at last an article was removed. The redhead was down to his undergarments in a short matter of time. And then…and then he grabbed a robe.

 

You groaned, your head lolling back. Kriff… Kriff! You wanted him naked, but stars if he didn’t look good in that robe.

 

Armitage walked over to the bed, climbed on top of it, and lounged with his elbows propping up his torso. He was looking directly at the camera, still smirking and that eyebrow quirked.

 

 _Is…is he inviting me?_ Your eyes were wide as saucers. You did not want to misread signals. Jumping the gun could meet with disastrous results. As though he could read your mind, General Hux raised on hand and hooked a finger, giving you a _come hither_ that was much clearer.

 

Maker, there was absolutely no way that you were going to turn down an invitation like that. You leapt up onto your feet, logged out of your device so that no one would have access to the feed—if one of your bunkmates caught you having sex with the general, that would be horrible—and ensured that you were presentable enough to make the trip to the redhead’s quarters. It would be a simple feat to get lost wandering around the _Finalizer_. Not many were invited to the quarters of superior officers as you had just been.

 

Since you had not changed out of your uniform, not a one of your coworkers spared you a second glance. You were doing what you could to keep yourself under control; no running, jogging, or even brisk walking. Not that you liked keeping the man waiting. Having questions or being stopped by someone who would question where you were headed would prove to delay things further in comparison.

 

Though you had access to the camera that was located in Armitage’s quarters, you did not have the passcode. On top of that, the stormtrooper standing guard caused you pause. _Oh. This is a bit awkward_. You had not expected to have to tell _anyone_ your reasons for coming.

 

“Uhm…” Before you could form an actual word, the stormtrooper uttered your name, albeit as a question. You blinked, your eyebrows drawing towards one another. With a nod, the ‘trooper stepped out of the way, half turning and giving the door a quick knock.

 

Armitage must have heard you arrive, as it did not take more than two seconds after that knock for the door to open. His blue eyes swept along your body; the smirk formed on his face anew. You, meanwhile, busily drank in the sight of his robe in person. It looked comfortable. You wondered what it would feel like to wear it. Your fingers twitched, and you started to lift you hand. Armitage moved more quickly. His hand encircled your wrist, and he gently tugged you into the room. The door closed behind you. At last the two of you were alone.

 

 _Meow_.

 

You jumped at the sound then cooed at the cat. Millicent weaved between your legs, her back arching as she attempted to have as much contact as possible while her purrs began to fill the room.

 

“I suppose I should properly introduce the two of you,” the man said, squatting down long enough to scoop up the feline. She head-butt him, rubbing the front of his robe with her face. You immediately stroked the top of her head, scratching behind her ears. The contact was not broken even when Armitage leaned forward to capture your lips in a brief kiss of greeting. “Were you watching when I entered?”

 

“Technically no,” you replied. “I looked away while trying to think of what I wanted to message you.”

 

“Mm.” The answer pleased him, although the first two words had caused him to begin putting forth a guarded mask. “So it _was_ toned down. A very wise move.”

 

You beamed at the compliment. Your mirth increased further when he passed Millicent into your hands. You cradled the feline, gushing over the way she did not hesitate in transferring her attention onto you. She was a rather affectionate creature. Already winning your heart. While you pet his cat, Armitage set a hand on your shoulder and urged you further into the room. You climbed onto the bed without much prompting. Millicent hopped out of your arms. She flopped down on the mattress in front of you.

 

“So, about those toys,” you purred, once more ogling the sight of him in that robe.

 

“Well now,” he said. “It seems we’ll have the reverse of the cliché.”

 

“ _You’re_ tired,” you said, catching on. It was hard to not. He sounded and looked tired, not that you would mention this. You did not want to insult him. He couldn’t be oblivious to the bags that were under his eyes. “You invited me here to cuddle?”

 

“And to give you the grand tour,” Armitage announced, giving a wide-sweeping gesture. “The bottom drawer _there_ will have what you were asking about.” You looked in the indicated direction. At the same time, you grunted as the mattress shifted. Armitage climbed onto the bed with you and Millicent. “I can assure you, it won’t be much longer before we _do_ indulge. There was more work to catch up on than I had anticipated.”

 

He stifled a yawn as he spoke. You squirmed, snuggling closer to him when he wrapped an arm around you. “Careful, sir,” you teased. “You told me where the cuffs are. I might secure you to the bed.”

 

“Is that a promise or a threat?” he asked, his fingertips skimming along the side of your breast. You slipped a hand into his robe, rubbing his chest. “Both then,” he hissed in pleasure as you pinched his nipple. You released the bud. When it came to your first time having sex with him, you wanted him to be well-rested. “You smell nice.”

 

“You _are_ sleep-deprived,” you said with a snort. You did not stink, no. That being said, you were not wearing any perfume and had gone through an entire shift of work. Then again, you thought, he loved work so maybe that _did_ smell appealing to him. “Thanks for inviting me.” He murmured a soft _of course_ , and allowed the conversation to lapse. Hitting a switch on the bedside table, General Hux dimmed the lights. You whispered that he could turn them off all the way if that was better for him. It was an offer he readily accepted, which spoke volumes as to how tired he was. Denying sex, wanting darkness, snoring in under two minutes?

 

Being able to spend time with him in this way as well as meet Millicent at long last was a very welcome alternative.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will have some smutty goodness to it.


	14. Take It All Off

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

 

_Fourteen_

Take It All Off

 

You dosed off and on beside Armitage in the bed. Millicent remained cuddled against you, the feline occasionally shoving her head against your side or hand if she grew starved for attention. The quietude nearly made you feel as though you had taken more shore leave. Your eyes often journeyed towards the bottom drawer in which General Hux had informed you the toys were kept. As much as you wanted to have sex with him, you found that you could not keep from observing his slumbering face. He looked so _peaceful_. Already you knew that you would enjoy mentally comparing his expression here while he slept with the ones he would make as the two of you at long last had sex. There were different kinds of peace. Here was a relaxed one. The other, the one you craved? A sort of ecstasy.

 

There was the added bonus that if Armitage slept now, he would not be exhausted at all during sex. You could not recall ever having a partner fall asleep during sex, however you had known someone back in your academy days who had told you they’d experienced it. Not fun at all.

 

This also allowed you to mentally run through what exactly you planned to do when he did awaken. Did you want to bind his hands, or did you want him to bind yours? There was the possibility of trading off. And, of course, you thought how it would be to forgo foreplay—hmm, not quite as entertaining as thoughts of General Hux teasing you while he wore leather gloves. Their coolness contrasting with his hot, wet tongue. He could theoretically still be the one with bindings, listening to your commands.

 

Your memory stirred. Armitage had teased you about wishing to use the purple restraints when the two of you at long last engaged in penetrative sex. That settled that dilemma. He would be in charge, at least initially.

 

Millicent had curled up beside your stomach when you had again lost the battle with sleep. You blinked your eyes open to find Armitage emerging from the refresher. He still wore the robe. Your attention drifted away from that almost immediately. Instead you stared at the purple bindings that were in his hands. You grinned widely, unable to keep the smile subdued. “I was tempted to bind you while you slept,” he teased. You tilted your head to the side, your gaze moving back to his face. “I thought we could begin before I restrain you. Allow the two of us to fully indulge. First, though, I am moving Millicent into the refresher. I have no idea how she’ll react—if she’ll pounce. I’d rather not have claws digging into our flesh.”

 

“Wise move,” you said, perking up. “Being clawed up isn’t my thing either.” As you were speaking, General Hux had continued forward. He scooped up the ginger tabby while also depositing the purple restraints on the bed. You tilted your head to the opposite side in order to better view his ass through the robe as he walked in the direction of the refresher.

 

As much as you wanted to drag things out for as long as possible, both of you were aware of the fact that at any moment work could call him back to the bridge. You shifted up onto your knees without tearing your eyes off of him. Your hands were working off your shirt then your bottoms. You did not remove your undergarments. You wanted to feel _his_ hands working those final barriers off of you. Armitage patted Millicent’s head before moving out of the refresher and closing its door. He turned, a smirk playing on his face as he saw your state of undress.

 

“I never tire of looking at you,” he purred. Your eyebrows rose. He was a smooth talker; he always had been in his own way, although in the past everything had been work related. Speeches to improve morale. Lectures done in tactful manners that aided one in improving their work ethics. You much preferred this. Flirtatious Hux made your toes curl and your mouth water. That neither of you were exactly strangers to the other’s touch increased the desire that began to course through your being.

 

Armitage skimmed his hands across the sash that kept his robe tied together; the material was parted a little at his chest from when you had slipped your hand inside. The flesh looked as smooth as it had felt. As appealing as it was, though, you could not stare for very long. You were far more interested in how he was handling the sash. Tugging the material so that it shifted to one side then the other. Your grin widened further, your eyes beginning to squint. You dipped your chin towards your chest. Armitage moved his hands away from one another without removing them from the sash. This caused the loose knot to break.

 

As his robe fell open, you hooked one thumb underneath the right strap of your bra. His pupils dilated. There was a rather hungry expression on his face. Armitage allowed his arms to fall slack, his shoulders drooping enough for the robe to begin its descent. The material pooled on the ground. Not pausing in his steps, the ginger-haired man climbed onto the bed with you. The mattress bobbed, rocking your body back and forth. He slid his hands past yours underneath the straps of your bra. His palms were on the front of your shoulders, meanwhile his fingers ventured downwards on your back. Down towards where your bra was hooked together.

 

You felt the bra’s resistance snap, breaking the moment Armitage unhooked it. You leaned forward. There was no stubble on his jawline. You kissed there then down to his neck. Your lips sealed together on his Adam’s apple. You loved how you could feel it bob when he swallowed. The light vibrations from his throat traveled along your tongue, which undulated on his flesh and caused him to release a sharp gasp.

 

Your hands skimmed along the waistband of his boxers. It would be so easy to shove them down. Yet you wanted to drag this out, to tease him until his self-control snapped. Armitage tugged your bra down the length of your arms. He paused when the straps were dangling from your wrists. You were forced to break contact with him, to pull back your hands, in order for your bra to be fully removed. A low whine escaped you as you did so. “It’s hard to be patient now, isn’t it?” he asked in a purr. You arched your back as a means of replying to the inquiry. Your breasts were pressed against his chest. So firm. His mouth was on yours, tongue pressing yours into submission. You were pushed down onto your back. His body had started to move with yours, both of you rocking against one another. Feeling each other through that final layer of clothing. You could tell how hard he was, and he no doubt felt how wet you were.

 

He caught your wrists and stretched your arms above your head. He set them on his pillow, and you left them there without attempting to move. Armitage had already started to kiss down the length of your body. While he could easily bind you with the restraints to ensure that you didn’t move, he knew it was unnecessary. You were free to touch him more—once he was satisfied with tasting you. You moaned loudly. The underside of his tongue, hot and wet, had made its way from your left nipple to just underneath your belly button.

 

It made you all the more wet when his teeth met together, the hem of your panties between them. Your chest rose and fell with each of your heavy breaths. Your chin was once more dipped towards your breasts, and you observed him. The way he crawled down your legs without relinquishing hold of the panties. You lifted your hips a little to ensure he succeeded in his endeavor to finish stripping you.

 

You lowered your arms, propped yourself up on your elbows, and wiggled your toes. They brushed his thighs; the man had positioned himself so that he was kneeling near the end of the bed. His eyes were roaming your entire body, taking you in as though this were the very first time he had seen you naked. You were entirely unashamed with the way you pushed your chest forward. The better view of your breasts was rewarded with a smirk.

 

“I’d say you’re a bit overdressed, General,” you said, barely able to keep your expression neutral. His eyes pinched in the corners as his smirk transformed into a grin. You loved his smile. “I think I need to be on top for a bit.”

 

“Perhaps I’ll indulge.” Though his words suggested that he was reluctant, you knew that he was eager. His body language said it all. The way his hand tapped your side to shift you. You rolled up onto your knees, and Armitage’s body covered the imprint you had left on his sheets.

 

You palmed him through his boxers. “I can’t wait to have you inside of me.”

 

“Says the woman taking her time,” he returned. You smiled at one another. He was right. As much as you did want to tease him, you would likely reach the breaking point first. More so because you worried still that someone would call him away.

 

With a swift yank, you had his boxers halfway down his legs. Armitage jumped. He had not expected you to do that. “I’m pretty talented at getting your clothes off of you. I thought you knew that.” A reminder that until recently he had only had quick engagements. He did not have much experience at all in prolonging pleasure of this sort. Nor was he accustomed to being topped. You braced your hands on his stomach, which allowed you to swing one leg over to straddle him. Armitage sat up. His hands were on your hips. His mouth meeting yours as your bodies at long last fully joined together. You groaned into the kiss, swearing breathlessly as he tilted back his head and moaned.

 

His arms encircled you completely. You had not believed that your bodies could be pressed more closely against one another until he proved that it was somehow possible. Your eyelids fluttered before you squeezed your eyes closed. Your entire body had started to tremble, and you were breathing heavily.

 

A part of you was having difficulty with the fact that this was real. After all the waiting, here he was inside of you—and it felt amazing.

 

Armitage rolled you over. You laid on your back with him between your legs. He moved inside of you, and you met his thrusts. A slow rocking at first before the momentum grew. His mouth abandoned yours in favor of trailing kisses down your throat before he moved upwards once more. You explored him with your hands instead, feeling the familiar curves of his muscles. His skin was smooth. You enjoyed how it felt under the pads of your fingers. The stretch of your back, the way your leg muscles worked to steady your body as you shifted downwards. He once more positioned your arms above your head, although this time he kept his hands on your wrists. Then his hands were on yours, his fingers and yours entwined together.

 

Time felt as though it had stopped for you in the best of ways. You stared into his eyes when yours were not closed. Armitage watched you in return. There was nothing frantic about the way the two of you moved. You were enjoying one another, relishing the moment. There was this sort of unspoken understanding that this was but the first round. There would be time for greed and teasing when the two of you recovered.

 

And it was more desperate the second time. You bucked your hips, whining as your fingers clawed at the air. Armitage was an expert with the restraints, you had to give him that. It was not only your wrists that were secured, but your ankles as well. You were stretched across his bed. He had not forgotten the conversation you had had with him about temperature play. Your jaw dropped as he breathed on the portion of your flesh that he had ran the cube of ice along. You felt your inner walls clenching. Your abdominal muscles tightened the moment he replaced the cube.

 

His other hand was busy as well, and it was the reason you could not swear. Breathing was something your subconscious didn’t even remember was a necessity as Armitage worked two fingers inside of you.

 

He spoke of Starkiller Base, of the snow and ice that was there. Armitage wondered aloud if it would be more intense there, or if having the heat here as a contrast was more effective. Your brain could not formulate any sort of response other than another moan. You were bobbing your head, nodding although you did not know what you were agreeing with, if you were agreeing at all. Perhaps you were simply nodding to let him know that you wanted him to keep going, to fuck you with his fingers.

 

But, kriff, he had other plans. You squealed as the ice met your entrance. It was a smaller sliver than it had been before. Armitage’s hot breath warmed you, his tongue assisting in turning the cold into a pleasurable tingling.

 

When you had had sex in the snow, it had not been _this_ intense. At that time, your limbs had been free. Being restrained in this manner was exhilarating. The anticipation of what Armitage would do next had the muscles in your legs constantly tightening, your toes curling. You let your head flop down on the pillow so that you could concentrate on regulating your breathing. Every move he made had you gasping, and the light-headedness you experienced was a result of that as much as the pleasure.

 

Sensing that you needed a moment to prevent you from blacking out, the redhead paused in his ministrations. “I am truly seeing the benefits of taking my time,” he said. This time when you nodded, you knew what the action was for. It took you a handful of breaths to recover enough that the sense of vertigo subsided. Resting the side of your face against your arm, you peered down at Armitage. He had set aside the remnant of ice, nothing more than a splinter, and started to trace wet patterns on your lower belly. Nonsensical things. Random letters and shapes.

 

“Just wait until you’re the one tied up,” you quipped. A sultry smirk played on his features, his eyes glinting as he looked up at you. “There are plenty of other things to try.”

 

“Careful. I don’t want to be _too_ distracted from work.” You snorted, not commenting that you were sure to struggle with the same issue. Wanting to get away from a console or report to sneak into his quarters. Or, kriff, you’d take a broom closet at that point. Sex with him was far better than you had imagined. The pair of you were continuing to learn one another’s bodies. Armitage was an expert at reading body language, and he was well versed in your facial expressions. Thus far you had had no need to ask him to pause or stop. He observed you, doing so on his own before the words had even begun to form on the tip of your tongue.

 

Armitage crawled up your body to once again settle between your legs. You closed your eyes as he thrust up inside of you, and tilted back your head. Your jaw was slack, allowing you to suck in a generous amount of air. You felt full; you felt complete.

 

It was not slow as it had been the first time. The bed shifted with his thrusts, and you grabbed at the restraints. A single whimper from you and he knew; Armitage freed your ankles. You wrapped your legs around his waist, feeling the tight stretch of your muscles. As much as you wanted to touch him again, to grab at his shoulders, back and hair, you delighted in the fact that your wrists were secured to the bed. It prompted him to whisper all the filthy things he could do to you, the ways he could make you squirm.

 

Some of the ideas you filed away to use on him. The majority of your attention, though, was on the pleasure. On the feeling of him inside of you, stroking you. The way he rolled his hips so that there was pressure against your clitoris. You were again finding it difficult to breathe. The vertigo returned, much more powerful than before as your sight blurred in places, the pounding in your ears returned. A thrumming that invaded your entire body. A release—your orgasm washed over you, your silent scream of ecstasy muted by a kiss.

 

It was hard to believe that this was the same man who had seemed to have difficulty relaxing on vacation. His body was pressed against yours, his hands raised long enough to free your limbs. You pulled your wrists down towards your chest simultaneous to rolling onto your side. You had not fully recovered from your orgasm. Armitage grunted when your breath hit him. He wrapped one arm around you, his hand feeling the curve of your hip down to your buttocks.

 

“I think all the waiting and paperwork was worth this.”

 

“Yes,” you gasped. You could hardly keep your eyes open despite your desire to stare up into his face. You pressed your forehead against his chest. “This trumps a vacation too.” His laughter told you that he felt the same way. You smiled tiredly.

 

There was the background knowledge that eventually the two of you would have to rise from the bed, that it would be time to shower then redress for more work. Neither of you pulled away from the other. It was difficult to tell which of you would be the first to move. What was easy to tell, though, was that neither of you _wanted_ to do so. That was saying something, especially when you remembered how much of a workaholic General Armitage Hux was.

 

“This robe is nice,” you started, “but I think I prefer laying with you when we’re both naked.” He hummed in agreement, his hand squeezing your ass so that you squirmed a little.


	15. Room for Doubt

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

 

_Fifteen_

 

Room for Doubt

 

It threw you for a loop, the transition of calling him _Armitage_ to once more referring to him as _General Hux_. Sex had solidified the intimacy you had felt with him, the trust that had been developing between the two of you since vacation. The one thing that posed the greatest threat to this trust was Starkiller Base. You had been aware of its existence, and to some extent you had known its purpose. A weapon. As a sort of defense mechanism, you had failed to consider entirely what activating that weapon would mean. It was on the bridge that you heard your superior officer speak to a major regarding the weaponized planet. Their tones suggested that this was casual conversation despite what was being discussed. Where you had always loathed the idea of having to use Starkiller Base, both of your superiors clearly held no reservations.

 

Was that the price of being in the military for so long? Did it have to do with their personalities?

 

If you attempted to broach this subject when the two of you were alone, when you were allowed to call him Armitage, you risked the chance of destroying layers of that trust. Should you question him in a more official capacity, that could lead to a verbal reprimand or even a mark on your permanent record. The First Order did not fancy officers who easily got cold feet.

 

It was possibly naïve on your part—a willful ignorance to nurture a sense of bliss—that you had generally thought of Starkiller in terms of its environment. The cold snow. The training grounds that would be there. You did consider the components of the weapon and the weapon itself. Its capabilities. That was all secondary to your mind painting a picture of the scenery. Your flirtations with Armitage had further allowed you to give Starkiller a more innocuous purpose.

 

You did not enjoy killing even in war. It was necessary, yes. A part of you had previously wished that you could be detached if you had to pull the trigger on an enemy. That being said, you had never hoped to feel numb if Starkiller was utilized. Millions and billions of lives lost in an instant.

 

_How can they speak so casually?_

 

Your eyes darted about the bridge. A handful of your fellow officers spared glances in the direction of your superiors. Others were immersed in their work. There was no way to ask if you were the only one with doubts or reservations. The fear that you would be branded a traitor or coward stilled your tongue.

 

Even with your reservations and concerns, there had been no _true_ sense of paranoia until you received a summons towards the end of your shift. It was only then that you recalled General Hux had informed you that you would receive information on a project once you were aboard the _Finalizer_. You silently prayed to the Maker that you were not assigned to Starkiller Base. There would be no possible way for you to conceal your feelings if you were. At the same time, you felt guilty for harboring those sentiments. It was _not_ that you were disloyal, you told yourself again. You knew this was war. It did not mean that you wanted to watch the casualties of war rise, especially when it was a result of the actions of the First Order.

 

The cold, metal corridors held the same atmosphere as the room you entered. Behind the door one of your superiors waited. He handed you a cylinder that granted access to three areas you had previously not held clearance for. “You will attend lessons according to the schedule that will be delivered to you at the beginning of your next shift. In the meantime, it would be wise to utilize your two day break to study the information that has been sent to you.” You offered a _yes, sir_ simultaneous to wondering what you were being assigned to do. Training for _what_? To object would be treasonous. Situations such as these were when you wondered if you were doing the right thing, if the First Order wasn’t extreme.

 

Then, of course, you would remember how the New Republic was extreme on the complete opposite spectrum. They did nothing. They stood by as planets, namely those in the Outer Rim, requested help. Help that was never received. Senators bickering. Senators who collected relics of the fallen Empire, or else who were horrified to look upon anything that reminded them of the Imperials. You? You had neither of those reactions. It had been simple for you to weigh the pros and cons of the Empire. Armitage Hux had spoken of flaws in the way things had been run; that was his strange version of pillow talk now that the two of you were on the Star Destroyer.

 

You affixed the new cylinder to your uniform shirt after your superior dismissed you and himself. He was the first to leave the room, his shift not over as yours was. The two consoles inside of the room had blank screens. They were mostly used for simulated attacks so that officers could keep up to date on their abilities to counter attempts to hack the Star Destroyer, and also as a means of intercepting transmissions from other ships. You had not yet been made to perform in the room. Due to having been given the new assignment, you doubted that you would be asked to do so any time in the near future.

 

Once you were seated on your bunk, you began to read through the information that your superior had mentioned. The details, as you had suspected would be the case, were vague. You did not know precisely what project you were being brought in to work on, however you did know that it had to do with counter terrorism and loyalty. In other words: the First Order wanted to ensure that none of its officers succumbed to Resistance propaganda. Stormtroopers were taken in at a young age, which left them less susceptible to believing what the Resistance attempted to sell. Where some officers came from families who had ties with the fallen Empire, there were those who had grown up with stronger ties to the New Republic or even those considered to be heroes of the Rebellion.

 

The courses that you would be taking were also a sort of screening process. This was not stated in so many words, however you were skilled enough to read between the lines. What would General Hux think of you if you washed out? That was the tricky part of separating business and pleasure. Where you could enjoy praise if you excelled, his disapproval of your failures would besmirch any romantic setting.

 

You opened up the video feed to check in on Millicent as a means of cheering yourself up. It was human to have reservations about killing others, you told yourself. Your field of expertise was not on the battlefield itself. On the screen, the feline arched her back and released a yawn. You clicked your tongue against your teeth, your attention wavering back towards the device that held the information on your new assignment. The courses could assist you for all you knew. The issue was not giving things a chance. Wasn’t that the same folly as not giving Armitage the time of day during vacation? He had proven you wrong. And no, things were not perfect, however it was all worth it. The good outweighed the bad. It did not mean that the negative was entirely erased.

 

“This will be good for me,” you told yourself. This time when you began to observe Millicent, you were not so easily distracted.

 

Your eyelids began to droop, and that was when you cut off the feed to Armitage’s quarters and also shut down the device that held the information you had been studying. As usual, you found yourself woken up twice as other officers came or left their bunks for shifts. It did not disturb you as it had the first few days. You were able to almost instantly fall back into a state of unconsciousness. The two days that you would have off of regular work on the _Finalizer_ were not to be devoted to laziness. While you were allowed to catch up on sleep to ensure your health was properly maintained, it was expected of you to utilize the training grounds or study up on regulations that had changed as well as hone your skill sets. Any one who aimed to have a promotion when they came up had to show that they wanted the position.

 

Due to that viewpoint that was upheld by most in the First Order, you knew that your being selected to take part in the project and receive proper training for it was to be considered an honor. You did still have some reservations when you awoke at the start of the next cycle, however you were able to swallow it down more easily than you had the previous evening. You did not open the feed to check on Millicent or see if General Hux had taken one of his rare evenings off to get decent sleep. Instead you grabbed up all materials that you would need to study, dressed, and headed towards the cafeteria to grab up whatever food was being served. Maker, you missed the café.

 

Voices echoed off the walls of the cafeteria, though most of its patrons kept the volume down to a whisper or else what one would refer to as an _indoor voice_. You easily tuned all of that noise out. The synthetic protein and cup of caf was placed on the table nearest to one of the room’s corners. You sat perpendicular to your food, your feet planted firmly on the circular seat that was beside yours. The datapad you had brought with you laid against your bent knees and down your thighs. You gripped the device with one hand to ensure that it did not fall to the floor.

 

The new program, from what you could tell, was similar to the Empire’s ISB, although there were several differences. For one, you saw no indication that you would extract information from those who fell under suspicion of being disloyal. That role would no doubt fall to Kylo Ren. The more you were looking at the outline of information that you were permitted to see prior to the courses, the more you suspected that the First Order was concerned with leaks regarding Starkiller Base could occur. The base was in its final stages of construction. Losing it would be a large blow to morale, not to mention the pocket books of the military. To top all of that off, its discovery would give the New Republic ample time to boost the supplies of the Resistance so that it could obliterate the First Order and everything it stood for. After that the New Republic would return its attention to bickering, lazy senators who cared only for titles and not the well being of all the planets as they claimed to.

 

Even if that did not mean that you wished for the weapon to be turned against the New Republic—not in its full capacity—you knew that you had to do all you could to see that the discovery did not occur. You chose to hope that Starkiller Base would be sued to wipe out the Resistance fleet. There was no need to completely power the weapon. The New Republic did not hold enough of a threat, namely if the First Order kept playing their cards correctly as they had been.

 

 _Which means no leaks. A leak would necessitate a rush to complete the construction of the weapon, and then Starkiller would be charged._ Your shoulders rose then fell with a silent sigh. _They tried to prepare us for accepting the casualties of war during training. But on this sort of scale?_

 

Your fingers flicked across the display so that you were able to pull up information on Hosnian Prime, which was the center of the New Republic. A view of the planet included statistics on economy and population. You cared little about the former. It was the latter that caught your eye. It was a large number. So many lives—so many _civilians_. You ran your hand down the length of your face. Expanding your search to include the entire Hosnian system. The number of lives jumped, just as you had expected it to. It was the same way the number of First Order personnel increased if you were to pull up estimates based on one then several of its starships. The New Republic had much to lose, and so did the First Order. Loyalty determined which side the losses would come from.

 

 _Loyalty also means that I can prevent some of those deaths. Ensure there is no need to attack on a large scale. So long as we can eliminate the Resistance and cripple the New Republic, we_ don’t _have to use Starkiller like that._

 

Closing your eyes then reopening them, you shoved aside the bigger picture. You looked around the cafeteria at your allies. They were fighting for their families. Some of them had relatives, friends, and loved ones in the Hosnian system. They would want to prevent those deaths as well. That was what the First Order was working towards. War was a necessary—evil? Sacrifice? What _was_ it?—to accomplish that goal.

 

It would be easy to become caught up in the paranoia and self-doubt. You could understand why it was becoming increasingly necessary for the First Order to take measures such as the project you were to become a part of. The First Order would not be allowed to destroy itself from within.

 

 _Maybe I’m underestimating Armitage. I tell him that I’ll teach him patience in bed, but in life I’m… He is used to stress. I_ should _confide in him. Just not be a kriffing dolt about it._

 

In that moment you were able to realize how much the stress had been compromising your posture. You sat up straighter, feeling the tension released from your shoulders and back.

 

You composed a brief message that you sent to General Hux. He would be able to read it immediately even if he could not respond until later. You did not know what part of the ship he was currently on. You wanted to say the bridge, however recently he had been busy in several other locations as well. To kill time while you waited for a response, you requested access to sources from the First Order data library. The request was approved by the system without any hitches. You opened the first file, browsed the table of contents, and then jumped to the portion you wished to study.

 

There was a summarization of notable Imperials that had betrayed Emperor Palpatine for money or glory—glory in the case of those who enjoyed figuratively starting fires only to snuff them out and take the credit. It would be foolish to believe that all such beings had been caught. Who knew how many names should have been added to the list? You did not linger on that question for very long. The subject matter had caused you to reel back your assumptions. This new project was not only about protecting Starkiller Base. Dogfights had happened more than once between Resistance and First Order ships. The Resistance had its spies, but the issue lay in the fact that any of those spies could be First Order officers, technicians, or pilots with savior complexes. You remembered that your vacation had been cut short, and the reasoning for that.

 

 _These courses are extra screens before we’re introduced to the_ real _project. It not only eliminates names from the list of potentials for the project, but also aids in recruiting for security teams._

 

The others who had received the information and were to be your peers in the courses would no doubt come to similar or identical conclusions. It was all in the writing between the lines.

 

A beep indicated you had received a message. You opened it, scanned through the contents, and then began to pack up your materials into a small bag, the strap of which you tossed over your shoulder. You grabbed the uneaten food to take a quick, large bite. The caf you kept, while the food you tossed in the nearest trash. You did not know how long Armitage would be free for. He had asked you to meet him in a nearby location of the ship. Not a random closet—you would have had mixed feelings on that, wondering who else he had been there with in the past—or his private quarters. You kept your pace slow enough that you were able to take sips of your caf without fear of spilling it on yourself, but quicker than usual due to the limited time.

 

It was the new cylinder on your uniform top that granted you access to the room. You could not help but stand a little straighter, both because you were proud of yourself for being in a position to receive such clearance, and because your superior stood before you. His eyes shifted just past your shoulder until the door closed behind you. The room was lit as brightly as the corridor; there was no pause for your eyes to transition to any alterations. General Hux stepped nearer to you, his posture professional. You bit your lip, hesitating and suddenly wondering if you should have waited for a more informal setting.

 

“You may speak candidly,” he said, a smirk forming as his brows knit towards one another. You enjoyed his expression of amusement. It aided you in relaxing.

 

Still, you had to take a moment to muster up your mental strength. Puffing up your cheeks, you blew out a steady stream of air then began to tell him of your concerns. You flinched and lowered your eyes to the floor without pausing in your words. His smirk had dropped away, replaced by a frown. The absence of anger was one thing that kept you talking. Knowing that you would not have the courage to broach the subject again was another. He waited until you were finished speaking before he took his turn.

 

“Allow me to ask you this,” the ginger-haired man said, his hands shifting so that they were behind his back instead of at his sides. You knew one wrist was laid atop the other even though you could not see it. “Would you rather have me soft on the battlefield and hard in bed, or hard on the—” He broke off with a huff, his eyes darting to the side as his cheeks obtained a rosy hue.

 

You could not help the grin that had spread across your face, your eyes dropping from his face to his pants then back. “If you have to ask.” To this, he tilted his head to the side and did all he could to give you a stern look. You shrugged. “I know what you’re getting at. Having an ally who won’t get you killed on the battlefield. You’re not asking me to choose between battle-hardened Hux and cock-hardened Armitage.” The redness flared up anew, his blush deeper than you had ever seen. “I needed that actually. I’ve been, uhm, pretty tense since yesterday on the bridge. Worrying about how you would react if you knew.”

 

“War is not pretty. I have the advantage of having known it since childhood.” You did not know if that was an advantage from your point of view. It desensitized him to parts of war, but at what cost? Was he any more paranoid than officers who hadn’t? It could explain why he had difficulty vacationing properly. You never wanted to lose that part of yourself, the one that could find things to take joy in and relax on beaches.

 

You leaned on the wall to the left of the door. “But how do you do it? Talk about using the weapon on a whole system without flinching?”

 

“I don’t think of faces or people as anything more than a number. If I let myself feel for all who would be lost, there would be room for doubt. A second’s hesitation could destroy the First Order. I don’t want to destroy the galaxy.” His voice softened a little towards the end. “What order can be brought to ash and dust? What people would there be to unite?” Armitage stepped closer to you. One step. A second. You wanted to push off of the wall and meet him halfway, yet found that you had a hard time moving away from where you had placed yourself. “I believe you will pass these courses. You will be brought in to work on a project that will better suit your beliefs and talents. This is one of the hard parts of war. Seeing both the big and small pictures. Learning to properly compartmentalize.”

 

He broke off in a chuckle that would have been out of place from anyone else or if it had not held that note of irony. “I cannot properly relax on vacation. I am constantly running through what must be done. Second guessing if I placed the right officer in charge of various projects. Worrying that I will anger the Supreme Leader.” A pause as he allowed that to soak in. You were not the only one in that room that had to worry about what their superior thought. It helped to ground you, to know that General Hux was humanizing himself to you, was being genuine. “Those are the concerns that keep me awake at night. These are yours. I do not think less of you for having doubts. It is what you do with those doubts that matter—and you push forward in the face of adversity and disappointment. I’ve seen it first hand.”

 

Your mind ran through the exchanges you had had with the impersonator on the dating app. The words that Armitage had later read, what had drawn him towards you and made him want to meet with you in person at that café. He was not going to hold back on your account. The date you had had with him was proof of that; if he felt a need to put up his guards, he would. Right now, he was letting them down so that you could see you were not alone. As an officer and as a human being.

 

At last you pushed off of the wall, meeting him halfway and tilting back your head as he leaned down to capture your lips. It was one of the quickest kisses you had shared with him, but it served its purpose. Armitage caressed your cheek with his leather-clad knuckles.

 

“Why don’t you sit with Millicent while you study? If I am able to get away again, I will join you for a short while.”

 

“Okay,” you said, returning the next brief kiss then turning around to watch him leave the room.


	16. Not As Expected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this fic is now officially the priority fic until it is completed. That means at least one update per week except if life doesn't allow it. (Mostly due to an upcoming wedding, however I'm going to try to get slightly ahead so I have a chapter to post then)

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

_ Sixteen _

Not As Expected

  


 

Millicent provided great company, although you would be lying if you said she was not a distraction from properly studying. The feline climbed on top of the device, shielding the hologram from your view, for the eighth time. Though she relented from time to time, she always came back. You sighed, scratched her ears, and drew her into your lap. The display had not changed, and there was no audio to go along with it. This prevented you from having to backtrack as you had earlier on. You had received a message shortly after you had arrived in Armitage’s quarters. Inside was a list of material to read through as well as a link to an encrypted forum. Before the end of the shift, you were to compose an introductory post for the benefit of your future classmates. Two others had already completed this task. You were in the process of reading through one of them. It was more interesting for you than the studying you had tasked yourself with in the beginning.

 

The forum itself had allowed you to remember just how large the Star Destroyer was. You had not interacted with the individual whose post you were reading. You doubted that you had seen him at all. In a way, the forum posts were reminding you of the dating application that you had used. You could not help but wonder if one had influenced the format of the other.

 

Your assumption was that part of the screening process included these forum posts. Too secretive, and suspicions could arise. Too forthcoming, seeds of doubt regarding your ability to handle classified information could be sown. With General Hux hinting that you would enjoy the position gained by completing these classes, you did not want to fail. You finished reading through the first introductory post then opened the second. This post was shorter, roughly half the length of the other. More to the point. Not  _ too _ abrupt though. There were sprinkled bits of more humanizing information beyond the individual’s name, number, and rank. This format was more to your liking, and you knew that you would write something similar.

 

Millicent was content to curl up in your lap while you started to compose your own forum post. Several other introductions had popped up. You had not yet read through them, the small red icon indicating one then three unread posts were available for your viewing. One whole paragraph consisting of one hundred and twenty-three words almost immediately found itself deleted as you decided against sharing that information. It felt far too casual, not to mention it was bogged down with irrelevant tidbits. You considered including one or two academic achievements from your academy days, but did not want to come off as boasting.

 

That was the thing you hated about writing introductory essays and posts such as this. It was largely about selling yourself in a way. Fluffing up your resume. It did make sense to you that it was necessary to state your strengths. It was just that you did not want to come off as being arrogant. First impressions went a long way, even if those impressions were false.

 

And you were sure as slag that you would gain no brownie points if you put  _ took down a general with a dildo _ even though, in your opinion, that was a rather amazing feat.

 

You quickly deleted that line, wincing and hoping that the system did not track all keystrokes. Some of the consoles and devices in the First Order did, for the sake of security. You were skeptical that you’d receive much lip if it was monitored. Possibly a witty retort from said general. You grinned at the thought and chuckled to yourself.

 

Banging on the door resulted in Millicent digging her claws into your leg, the barrier provided by your bottoms aiding in preventing a deeper puncture. You yelped in pain. The moment that you recovered, you pulled the feline off of your lap and rose to your feet. All the while the banging persisted. General Hux would not be pounding on his own door. Stormtroopers would not allow just anyone to act this way. There were troopers put on guard duty for a reason.

 

Not so strangely, you had a rather good guess at who was pounding on the door. There was only one individual that you knew of who would terrify the guard enough to not react, and only one person who would pound on the door to Hux’s quarters in this manner. You did not want the man to lose his patience and thus ignite his plasma blade to get through. With a sigh, looking over your shoulder to watch Millicent scramble underneath the bed, you walked to the panel and opened the door.

 

The fist, ready to knock again, stopped less than an inch from your face. Your wide eyes stared at the limb. Everything that had transpired in your life had flashed in your mind. It was not a near-death experience...or you hoped it wasn’t. Because that meant something was  _ seriously _ pissing off Kylo Ren, who was known to lash out in anger.

 

The leather shifted away from your face, falling to the man’s side as Kylo Ren entered the general’s quarters without an invitation. You stood in place for another eight seconds to gather yourself together. Your heart was pounding in your chest. Sweat had gathered on the back of your neck. And stars, you had not realized you needed to pee so badly until that moment. You darted towards the refresher. Your superior did not stop you, for which you were grateful. Now that he was in close proximity to you, his mood seemed to improve at least a fraction. You returned after using the toilet to find him standing in a corner. Millicent was still nowhere to be seen, unless one wanted to look in the dark corner underneath the bed.

 

“Er…” You were at a loss for words, however Kylo Ren had not spoken to reveal the reasoning of his presence. Your interactions with him had been rather limited. Even when the two of you had been in bookclub together, the majority of your interactions had taken place over secure channels. Nothing face to face.

 

You blinked, that train of thought reminding you of the fact that book club had been set to start at the beginning of the shift. You had previously left word that you would be unable to take part as you grew accustomed to working on the  _ Finalizer _ . You had made no mention of the classes you would be taking, though they were also a reason for your absence in the club.

 

You had always been a more vocal member in the book club, not shy when it came to dissuading others from recommending or pushing for certain books. There had been one novel in particular that you had groaned when another member had recommended it. It had taken much argument on your part, and ‘Matt’ had joined in arguing against reading it.

 

“You’re stuck reading  _ that _ book, aren’t you?” You could not keep the pity out of your voice. Had it been a different situation, you had a strong impression that Kylo Ren would have struck you. As it was, he snatched a book out of cowl—such talent, hiding a book like that—and thrust it towards you. You grimaced as the cover came into view. The novel was currently popular, however from the snippets you had read, it was poorly written. You weren’t sorry that you didn’t have to suffer along with him.

 

You accepted the book from his grasp, pulling it closer and flipping it over to stare at the summary. The idea behind the novel was intriguing, you could not lie about that. 

 

“If I fail to read it, I have been informed that I will be voted out of future book discussions.” He sounded amused at the idea of someone attempting to ban him from something. “That is your copy.”

 

Your shoulders dropped at his words. There was no room for argument. You were to suffer along with Kylo Ren. A small part of you pushed forth the fact that you should almost feel honored. Out of anyone he could have chosen, your superior had sought out you for companionship. The two of you would mock the book together in bouts of sarcasm. Armitage would somehow get dragged into it. Well, not somehow…  _ You  _ would drag him into the suffering by ranting to him how horrible the book was.

 

With a sigh, you returned your attention to the man. He had used the Force to summon your device to his lap. He was reading through your introductory post. Judging you. Making you wonder if he had a profile on the dating app. You sincerely doubted that last bit, however he was secretly in a book club, so who knew what other shenanigans he got himself into?

 

“Sir?”

 

You received no response. Not even a noise or a look in your direction. Only when he had finished reading through what you had written did he again acknowledge your presence by handing the device to you. The book bent awkwardly under the weight until you readjusted your grip. Still there were no words. Kylo Ren was no longer interested in holding anything that could resemble a conversation with you. Instead he strode out of the door through which he had recently entered.

 

_ Was he not aware of the project I’m taking part in? Or is he somehow involved in it? _

 

You stared at the introductory paragraph with a new perspective. You were going to assume the project—not the screening process, but the one alluded to by General Hux—involved the Knights of Ren. Loyalty  _ had _ to be put into the equation. Should officers work with those capable of wielding the Force, it could change how they viewed the First Order, namely the Supreme Leader. You remembered that many officers from the time of the Empire had been bitter towards Darth Vader. In a sense, that was no different than how some of your peers felt in regards to Kylo Ren. Top that off with the fact that the First Order held no interest in training officers or stormtroopers in using the Force, questions would arise.

 

If someone discovered they had latent Force abilities when working with the Knights of Ren, that could lead to anger. Namely if the First Order already knew. And they would know. Kylo Ren would be aware of it, as would General Hux.

 

_ If someone with power began to question the First Order...not only could secrets be let out, but there would be destruction. Death. _

 

You hoped that you were not reading too much into things, as you felt it would be intellectually stimulating to work more closely with the Knights of Ren. They were a part of the First Order in a removed sense. More than once, the Knights had been tasked with removing threats to First Order security.

 

Sitting down, you divided your time between coaxing Millicent out from underneath the bed and editing your post to better portray your strengths. You wanted it to be known that you were reliable and loyal even when you were not surrounded by other officers to keep you in check.

 

You submitted the post once you were generally satisfied with what you had written. Millicent had decided she was more comfortable laying atop the book than she was your lap. You noticed this when you glanced her way. That served as a reminder that you would have to log in to the book club forum to see what the reading and discussion schedules were. You pursed your lips into a sort of fish face while narrowing your eyes at the display. You really did not want to read this book.

 

Shortly following the start of your next shift, when it was revealed that you had to report for lessons immediately, you found yourself slouching in your seat and preferring the idea of reading the dreadful book. At least though, no matter how painful, was something you could definitely survive. This class? Your assumption that the Knights of Ren would be involved in some way was true. You had not counted on the Master of the Knights being the instructor.

 

Though it made sense. Not only due to the next stage, but for this as well. The screening process to discover which officers would be involved in reporting to Kylo Ren when there were suspicious of leaks and moles. It was no wonder the man had left General Hux’s quarters. He had realized you were to be one of his pupils.

 

A saving grace was that General Hux was present as well. Your eyes darted to him, and you found that he was observing your every reaction.

 

The expressionless mask shifted from one face to another until Kylo Ren had made a point of looking at every individual in class with you. Every one of you startled when the door on the Force user’s left slid open. A major strode in, his expression one of indifference even as he regarded Kylo Ren. He was not surprised that two of the triumvirate were present. Instead he nodded in greeting.

 

It had been the first of what would be many tests, you realized. To see how the class would react when facing Kylo Ren. You did not know how you had done. Armitage watching you could very well have been due to you making a mistake. Showing your nerves, slouching as you had. You mentally cursed yourself, feeling your face twisting into a scowl. 

 

“Over the past two cycles, all of you have written and submitted introductory posts on our forum. Today you will be taking one of those, previously matched to you and to be revealed as your name is called, and report to Commander Kylo Ren its flaws. Look for red flags that would indicate possible security breaches and acts of treason. This assignment will assist in self assessment. Do not take the criticism as a personal attack. The inability to admit your own flaws indicates an unwillingness to grow. The positions available by the end of this course are not open to such individuals.”

 

The major had not yet introduced himself, and he was already throwing the entire class into a sort of pressure test. There was the paranoia of gaining an enemy if someone  _ did _ take personally what was picked apart in their introductions. Yet if one went easy, it would be an act of cowardice in the eyes of General Hux and Kylo Ren. Plus, giving a report to Kylo Ren was no walk in the park. Stuttering would dock points on your score. Failure to meet his eye had the same impact. This was  _ not _ how you had expected the courses to begin. It was rather hands-on. In a way, a proper lead up to lessons consisting of texts and reports.

 

You held your breath for a moment while the first officer’s name was called. She was handed a datapad that displayed the introductory post she was to critique. Major Lenix, who had finally properly introduced himself, informed your classmate that she would be given three minutes to read over the post. The entire class was expected to have familiarized themselves with the posts as they had been submitted.

 

Being thrown a curveball in this manner was reminding you of how your vacation had gone. Expecting your date to arrive at the cafe only to learn you had been stood up. Replying to  _ General Hux _ of all people when he had shown up instead. It was not much different than this. Thinking you would be working with the instructor only to find that you had to instead speak with Kylo Ren.

 

More than that, you had, in a way, critiqued work when speaking with a superior. Though it had been in a more casual setting, you had discussed the novel you were reading with General Hux. That had been unplanned.

 

_ I can do this, _ you thought, adjusting your posture so that it was more professional. Up in the front, your fellow classmate had taken her first step closer to Kylo Ren. She cleared her throat, visibly winced, and then started to speak.  _ Kriff, that’s  _ **_my_ ** _ introductory post. _

 

Your gaze once more darted towards the redhead. His attention had been instantly snatched up by the other female. You did not know if this was out of professional courtesy, or if he knew  _ your _ post was the one being torn apart.

 

According to the woman up in the front of the class, your statement regarding your ability to work with others outside of the First Order was an indicator that you would have no qualms betraying the one side for the other. You could see how that argument was valid, but that did not stop you from wanting to protest, to better explain what you had meant. All you had wanted to do was show that you would be plenty capable of working alongside the Knights of Ren. You had to sit there quietly though and, as Major Lenix had stated, not take it personally. Accept where you could improve, even if it was something as simple as miswording things.

 

_ The only way I can learn what the First Order requires of me is by listening. Learning. I cannot succeed alone. _

 

Strangely, this perspective did help you to relax as you equated it to the more intimate and sexual relationship you were sharing with Armitage. A dom serving the sub by allowing them to live out their sexual fantasies. The dom receiving the gratification that they were doing a job well done. If you wanted to dominate in the workplace, to exceed expectations as well as please your superiors, it was by listening to the “sub”.  Finding that healthy balance where your job could serve you and you it.

 

_ If my words are causing doubt… Armitage had become defensive and almost nervous when I was too bold. It almost ruined things. We had to listen to one another. Right now, I need to listen to this. I need to grow. _

 

You bit the insides of your cheeks to keep from smiling too broadly. You were proud of and grateful for the woman critiquing what you had written. She was doing a damn good job of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will contain a combination of Armitage time and plot. Time to utilize more of those toys they purchased as well as explore relationship building exercises ;)


	17. The Taste is Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should have two chapters out this week. Today then either Saturday/Sunday.

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

_ Seventeen _

The Taste is Sweet

  


  
  


An obvious thing: discussing a book with Kylo Ren was far different than delivering any sort of report. While logically you knew this and had always been aware of it, you could not help but marvel over how it struck you. Your name had been called by Major Lenix, the datapad had been handed to you, and you had mentally composed an outline of the critique you would offer. Kylo Ren had hardly shifted from his spot at the front of the makeshift classroom. His mask pointed your way as you closed much of the distance between the two of you. As you opened your mouth, your mind provided you with a blank. No words for a full heartbeat. Your face growing hot, you cleared your throat and tried once more. This time you succeeded.

 

It did not help you that the post you had been assigned was well written, likely the best of the entire batch. A handful of your remarks felt like nitpicking, however you knew that was what had been asked of you. There was  _ always _ room for improvement. If you did not assist your fellow officer in doing so, you would fail him.You did not want to be responsible for holding someone back or stunting their growth.

 

“Where the sentences are precise, that serves as a possible detriment. By the end of the introductory post, one is left with the impression that the writer has a tendency to form a bias then hold onto it regardless if more information is provided them. In fact, the examples given regarding his personal and academic history prove this.”

 

“Yet he passed, did he not?”

 

You had been prepared for one of the men at the front of the room to contradict you. Not for Kylo Ren and General Hux to speak the exact same words in unison though. You closed your mouth, finding yourself once more flustered.

 

“At the expense of eight of his peers. And while the First Order wants the best, that course  _ was _ later revised. Had the revision been in place, he would have failed automatically based on the new set of standards. His failure to address that in his introductory post when he used the example highlights, as I said, the bias he is prone to. It also reveals a self-serving nature that nurtures resentment and mistrust. A hostile work environment.”

 

“A valid point,” Major Lenix conceded. Kylo Ren’s visor turned towards your superior officer then landed once more on your face. You quickly wrapped up your turn then ducked away back to your seat the moment you were dismissed. The next name was called. There would only be two left to give their reports after this female officer completed her turn. You folded your hands in front of yourself despite wanting to shield your face from General Hux, whose eyes flicked to you prior to moving to the speaker.

 

It did help that Kylo Ren was not in an agitated mood. He could have easily made a sardonic comment between plenty of your statements or even those of your peers. You wondered if he had volunteered his time, or if there was a sort of incentive that allowed him to be calm. Whatever the case, you were grateful especially after the mini struggles you had had.

 

Between reports, you chanced a glance at the individual whose post you had critiqued. He was side-eyeing you, his expression alternating between annoyed and thoughtful. This fit with the tone of his post and what you had said. He had difficulty bypassing any biases he formed. You hoped that your sincerity would assist him in this manner. He had clearly been able to press on in the past without people really pushing back.

 

You could see the strengths in this exercise. With the inability to interrupt the speaker, the individual had to truly listen to what was being said. They could easily be defensive, the same as how you had felt initially when your post was being critiqued, but could do nothing about it. No petty arguments. It was brilliant.

 

As the final officer returned to their seat and Kylo Ren took his leave of the room, Major Lenix turned to address the entire class. Things started to move in the direction you had believed they would have taken at the start. The major began to highlight the role the Empire’s ISB had played. He did not ignore its flaws, emphasizing the mistrust officers had begun to feel towards the organization. There were far too many corrupt individuals who had exploited their position. That was where Kylo Ren came into all of this. He could fact check by delving into the minds of both parties when suspicion of dishonesty arose.

 

The flaws were why the screening process was going to be as strict as it was. It was the reasoning behind Kylo Ren’s presence during the first class. Major Lenix revealed that the Commander would periodically be involved over the length of the courses. He would not only play the role of audience either.

 

You doubted that you were the only one swearing inside their head. Your mind was going places. Being interrogated by Kylo Ren. Or by your classmates while the man watched. What sort of crazy tasks were going to be involved?

 

“The forums are present to allow communication amongst your peers. I encourage you to utilize them beyond the mandatory posts that you shall be assigned. This does not mean, however, that you will neglect your regular duties. As I am certain you have noticed, only half of those who posted on the forums are present. There are two groups. Schedules for classes are alternating for each of you. The groups will change, though you are all receiving the same lessons. Know that you are being observed to see how you interact with the various groupings you work with.”

 

This, like the forum posts, would reveal strengths and weaknesses.

 

Beyond the forum, the entire class was informed of the texts that would assist in preparing for the second lesson. Thankfully, Major Lenix was kind enough to list the chapters that would be needed, and so you would not have to stress about reading the entire books.

 

_ Especially since I still have to read this week’s chapters for book club. _

 

You exited the room along with your fellow officers once Major Lenix had dismissed everyone to return to their daily duties. You had ninety minutes of your shift left before you could head to the cafeteria. The grumbling coming from your stomach protested this fact, yet it was nothing you could change. You found yourself playing catch-up; those working on the same part of the ship you were had managed to cover most of the tasks that would have held you up with overtime. There were certain things that only you could do based on security. You loved the support, the feeling of belonging. It was more pronounced on this Star Destroyer than it had been on your previous duty station.

 

An appeal of the book club and dating app had been the human interaction. The book club was not a physical meeting, which was why you had gone ahead with the dating app, nervous as it had made you.

 

Your last duty station had not contained as many personnel as was aboard the  _ Finalizer _ . There were faces on this vessel that you would never see, people with whom you would not interact. It seemed strange to you that you felt a deeper sense of belonging here because of that numerical difference. Yet on another level it made immediate sense. There had been so many cliques at your previous station. Schisms. Drama.

 

Not that book club was without drama, what with Kylo Ren interrupting your lunch break. Thankfully, he had not decided to appear in person. Instead you were interacting with “Matt” on the club forum. Matt was not enjoying the chapters in the least. You informed him that you had not yet been able to start your reading due to work. His reply of  _ you are on lunch break, begin it now _ made you cringe.

 

Misery really did love company.

 

“This book is poorly written,” you said aloud, hours later, as you lay naked on your front. Almost naked, you corrected; you were wearing one of the edible panties. Armitage grunted in response. He did not say anything, not that you had expected him to since it was not the first time you had uttered that phrase. “But this idea… Can I put honey on your body?”

 

“I was not aware that book contained sex,” the redhead said. You snorted. “It doesn’t. Then how, pray tell, did your mind go there?”

 

“They’re putting honey on gingersnaps.” You looked over your shoulder at him, eyes running up and down his body. Armitage was clothed. He had changed out of his uniform and wore loose pants and a tank top. His hands were on your body, rubbing in the oils as he kneaded your flesh and you read more of the assigned chapters. There were two steaming cups of caf on the bedside table. Armitage scowled when you spoke. You offered him a smile. “I’m  _ not _ calling you gingersnap.”

 

“You had better not,” he said, half-warning, half-teasing. The heels of his hands pressed against on a knot that had developed in your back. You moaned, arching your back and resting your forehead on the pillow. “That would be far too messy.” You asked if he would prefer whipped cream. “Is that on the gingersnaps as well?” No, you said, you simply wanted to eat food off of his body. Armitage chuckled, his hands shifting downwards to the panties. He moved the limbs a little lower than their hem, squeezing your ass cheeks. “You have explained that this relationship involves exercises in trust.”

 

“Mmhmm,” you hummed out before saying, “if you fall into my arms, I’ll catch you.”

 

“I am certain we will both wind up on the floor in that case.”

 

“That’s okay,” you said, earning an interested  _ oh? _ “It means that I am willing to go down with you...or go down on you. Either way works for me.” The hands on your rear squeezed again, thumbs pressing your cheeks upwards a fraction. You pushed backwards into his touch and felt yourself opening for him. You marked your place in the book then dropped it unceremoniously onto the floor.

 

The pair of you were already toeing the line of trust that had started to develop in your relationship. Armitage had ordered leg restraints prior to asking if it was something you would be interested in, although he immediately stated that he would not be insulted if they remained unused. They technically had fallen in line with toys and objects the two of you had discussed using when on vacation. You had asked to see them. They were on the floor beside the bed now, where they had been ever since you had happily agreed to trying them out. Given that Armitage would take the lead this time, he had offered to aid you in relaxing your body after the day you had had. Class. Book Club. Work on top of that all. You had had zero objections to being pampered.

 

You had seen frog tie restraints on holovids, but had never tried them out in the bedroom. The ones Armitage had purchased, he informed you, had received the highest amount of positive reviews. You were happy that the man did his research. Some people went into these things blind, which was dangerous on many levels.

 

“Are you going to bind my wrists as well?” you asked when the man moved off of the bed and bent to pick up the restraints. He tapped on the metal rings where your wrists would be secured if he chose to. “I trust you to do it...I know if I say it’s too much, you’ll stop.” He licked his lips, nodded, and set the restraints on the bed beside you in order to bring out the attachments that you were asking for.

 

His eyes were half-lidded when he turned around to face you. “Would you object to our trying out honey with it being placed on  _ your _ body.” Your lips puckered forward in a silent  _ oo _ and you nodded enthusiastically. Then paused to shake, stuttering as you said you had no objections.

 

It was a droid that brought the container of honey to the man’s private quarters. As the two of you waited for it to come, Armitage worked on helping you into the restraints. There was a brief discussion as to whether the bed or floor should be used. Bedsheets were easier to clean in the end, and so the bed won out. The bindings that would secure your wrists remained on the pillow. You shifted, growing used to the position you were forced into. Armitage’s eyes were on your stomach then the panties, which hardly concealed you from him. He smirked to himself. The expression made you feel sexy rather than degraded.

 

That was one thing that had held you back from ever fully exploring some of the objects available for sale in stores that specialized in bdsm. There was too much of a misconception about the practice being aimed to  _ hurt _ . That it was pain being sought rather than pleasure. The way some people interpreted doms as being was, frankly, terrifying.

 

Armitage set two fingers together and laid them on the front of your panties. You shuddered, the muscles in your abdomen working extra as your legs failed to fully listen. The restraints were doing their job. “Kriffff.” You placed your hands in your hair, blowing out through pursed lips. The droid arrived then, which meant that the fingers left your body. You whined at the loss of contact. He was making you feel good, physically, mentally, emotionally.

 

“You’re going to be one sticky mess when this is done,” came the purr. You fluttered your eyelashes at him and nodded towards the rest of the restraints. His smirk spread. Rather than grab the restraints as you were silently asking him to, he reached into the drawer of the bedside table. Your jaw dropped. “May I?”

 

“Uh, hell yeah,” you said, as though his question was ridiculous yet thoughtful as well. He placed the dildo on the pillow, trading it and the container of honey for the items you had been waiting for.

 

Rather than skipping right to the part where he finished restraining you, Armitage brought your right wrist to his lips, giving it a quick kiss. With the left, he ran the underside of his tongue along your vein. Your abdominal muscles once more twitched. Your legs tensed, and you felt yourself clenching around nothing. He was making your body hungry for his. Your were glad for this not only for your sake, but for his as well. It was nice to see how much he was letting himself enjoy this encounter, how he was learning to take his time. You flexed your fingers, wiggling them along with your toes to check that everything had been done correctly and that blood continued to circulate properly in your limbs.

 

The container of honey and the sex toy were removed from the pillow, which he maneuvered underneath your head. Your neck was grateful for this, namely because you had kept straining it to look down at every action Armitage made. The front of his pants had begun to tent, yet he made no move to pleasure himself or strip. You wiggled your toes again upon noticing this.

 

His bare hands cupped either of your knees. Heat traveled through your body, the skin of your thighs feeling as though it were on fire as he shifted them down and towards one another. They stopped before they met in full. His gaze locked with yours. You swallowed down the saliva that had thickened in your mouth. Armitage lowered his head and nibbled at the edge of the panties...only to pause. He wrinkled his nose, and you shifted as best you could to properly look at him.

 

“I’ll stick with eating honey this time.” While the panties clearly did not have an enjoyable flavor, they ripped easily enough when he tugged at them. A tear formed in the front, slowly stretching downwards and revealing more of you, inch by inch, to him. Armitage grabbed the honey with one hand while still pulling on your panties with the other. You were spread open before him and fully naked now. The lid to the honey was flipped open with a quiet snap. The man rested an elbow against your thigh, angling his arm and placing the container so that it hovered directly over your clit. You gasped aloud when the honey began to meet your sensitive bud. It was not cold, however it was cooler than your body temperature.

 

Your inner walls clenched, your stomach swooping, and your eyelashes fluttered. Your breathing instantly accelerated. You curled your toes and scraped at the bedsheets beneath yourself with your fingers. The sticky substance tickled in a way as it slid down. Its journey ended, and the honey moved in reverse along with Armitage’s tongue. The restraints audibly protested your sudden jerking, however they held you secure.

 

More honey was applied, this time in a thin line from your clitrois down to your opening, where he swirled it. Armitage closed his mouth around you, sucking and flicking his tongue up the trail. The heat of his tongue emphasized the fact that the honey was room temperature rather than hot. It felt cold in comparison. Goosebumps blossomed on your flesh followed by a flush as your arousal spiked. Your juices mingled with the sweet.

 

Two fingers scissored you open after another trail of honey was poured onto you. Armitage’s tongue swept along the very edges of your entrance then darted upwards. He waggled the organ, smearing the honey. You could hear him fumbling for something, yet did not have the strength to look. You had long since stopped looking down at him. Your back was arched as best it could be given how you were restrained, and your head was thrown back. Jaw hanging open. You panted and whined at his teasing, at your inability to grind yourself into his touch, his tongue...the toy that he placed against your groin, rubbing it back and forth. You wanted it inside of  you.

 

“Oh...mm…” You inhaled sharply through your nose. Trembling, you gave another attempt at speaking. “Been...looking up...ah….oh, Maker…”

 

“Yes,” Armitage said as he gave a quick laugh. “I have been researching techniques and foreplay.” His words hit hot against your body, his breath and the vibrations generated by speech making your legs tense. He traced the tip of the sex toy on your outer lips. You wriggled and tried to position your body to the angle you wanted. “You want a taste.”

 

“I do, I really do.”

 

The man may have been merciless on the battlefield, however in bed he was generous. Armitage obliged. The head of the dildo started to push up into you, stretching you. Its surface grew sticky from your wetness and the residual honey. You enjoyed the friction this caused. All too soon, he removed the toy.

 

The mattress bounced you when his weight no longer caused the bed to dip. Armitage shoved his pants down, grabbing hold of his cock with one hand and stroking its entire length. You squirmed a little. His shirt came off next. As naked as you were, Armitage climbed onto the bed, although this time he crawled until he was able to straddle your face. He stretched down your body and thrust the toy inside of you in full. You moaned loudly, the sound cut off as he shifted his hips and, with the hand that was not holding onto the toy, shoved himself into your mouth.

 

You pressed your tongue to the head of his erection, catching the precum. For a moment, you pictured what it would be like to lather him up with the honey, to mingle the two flavors. The toy inside of you began to retreat only to push forward again, filling you. The thrusts were quick, the object hardly leaving you at all. It made it so that when Armitage did began to withdraw the toy, you  _ felt _ that emptiness.

 

It contrasted greatly with how full your mouth was. You swallowed around him, hollowing your cheeks to take in more of his length without gagging. Armitage swore in pleasure then applied his mouth to your clit. Your wrists tugged at the restraints. You wanted to grab his hand or head, anything to keep him against you. To keep the toy inside of you. There was no way for you to gain the upperhand with how you were bound.

 

Your orgasm swept over you, your body giving way to spasms. Armitage pulled out of your mouth so that you could breathe. He gave a hum of thought that you almost did not hear as blood pounded in your ears. He was standing at the edge of the bed again. His hand on his cock. Fingers wrapped around himself. Flesh smacking against flesh. You listened to the sounds of him masturbating and felt his cum hitting your exposed cunt, your stomach, your breasts.

 

When he recovered, he assisted you up onto your knees and turned you around. Your back was against his stomach. His hand manipulating the toy. It was inside of you, fucking up into you. Your spine cracked a little as you straightened. There was no way to escape him, and you were not sure if you even wanted to. Even though your flesh was sensitive, your body hot, another orgasm building.

 

He dripped honey onto your thighs, removed the toy, and pressed the head of it against your clit, angling the bud upwards so that the honey he poured pooled on it. Armitage rolled his wrist. The toy was flush against your entire cunt, rubbing up and down without fully  _ moving _ . It was your body that was manipulated. Your ass caressing his cock until he made you cum for a second time.

 

“Will it be too much for a third time?”

 

“Sex fiend,” you whispered when you had gained enough air to speak at all. You felt his lips on the back of your neck. His hands were on your wrists, massaging them while he waited for your decision. “A break for now. I don’t…” A pause to breathe. “We’ll see if there’s any muscle strain by morning.” Learning your limits was important. Armitage started to free you, nibbling on the back of your neck and having you shudder in ecstasy the entire time.


	18. Too Good

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

_ Eighteen _

Too Good

  


  
  


Work aboard the  _ Finalizer _ kept General Hux busy, which did not disappoint you due to your own hectic schedule. The forum posts were far more taxing than you had believed they would be. There was a necessity to balance civility with facts. Politely correcting another of your classmates, or being on the recipient side of this, did not go over well. Half the time, the replies came off as condescending. On a plus side, most of your peers were willing to open up a holo-conference to talk things out. There were no rules against this as far as any of you were aware. Major Lenix failed to reprimand your class if there had been.

 

In terms of classmates you preferred, the majority of them you had interacted with during the third lesson. Kylo Ren and General Hux had remained away at the time, each of them having duties far more important than babysitting a class. You were assigned a project where three of you would work in groups to deliver a presentation on how the ISB had ultimately failed the Empire.  _ That’s strongly worded, _ you thought, eyebrows rising towards your hairline. That same group would not be together again until the day of the presentation. Thus you were meeting with your two partners between work shifts.

 

That was when you  _ really _ felt the strain of participating in book club. Had it been a book you had looked forward to reading, you believed you would have resented the novel solely because of how stressed you were becoming.

 

You ducked into the nearest refresher stall, and took a selfie. Eight more. You hated all of them, however you were running out of time. You picked the one you disliked the least, attached it to a brief message, and sent both to Armitage. This was your response to a similar message he had sent your way, although his had contained an apology regarding the fact he had failed to contact you in over eight days. That technically went against what the pair of you had discussed and agreed upon for your relationship. You wanted him to know that you were not upset with him, and informed him that you would have sought him out if you had been worried.

 

The unit was quickly thrust back into your pocket, and you exited the refresher. There was another eighteen minutes of your break left, which you hoped to utilize meeting with your partners. They were entrusting you with the task of making final revisions and treatments after you organized the presentation into the proper format. Discussing everything, however, meant that it was important you not dally. The picture and message you had decided to do rather than eat lunch. It may not have been the healthiest of decisions. You were not all that hungry at the time, though, so it had made plenty of sense to you.

 

Sams had the bulk of the material in her possession when you arrived. Her shift had just ended, and it showed with the way she yawned, covering her mouth. She leaned against the nearest wall while offering you a quick  _ hello _ . “Hey,” you returned. “Berkins is still meeting with us, right?” The three of you referred to one another by your surnames. It was more common than not when it came to officers. Being in a class together, even having this project, did not change that. Sams nodded then shrugged. As far as she knew, things had not changed.

 

You were growing closer to Sams than you were your other classmates. Currently she was working different shifts than you were, however in under a month she was set to be on the same rotation as you. If the two of you were hired into the same positions offered by this course or else the next, that would also entail that you would be interacting on possibly a daily basis. There were some of your peers you hoped to see as little of as possible. Berkins was another face you would not mind seeing on a daily basis. His work ethic was commendable. If he was late, it was likely due to him ensuring all his tasks were completed and no one needed his help.

 

“How’s the book coming along?” Sams asked, stifling a third yawn. She had caught on to the fact that you participated in book club when you had accidentally brought the novel along during one of the times your group met. Sams was not a big reader, which you found to be somewhat funny since she enjoyed playing a text-based rpg. It was a sort of  _ choose your own adventure _ that you had not even heard of until she brought it up in conversation.

 

In response to her inquiry, you shrugged and gesticulated. “It has its moments, but I’d prefer to never have read it.” She offered a lopsided grin. Her eyes shifted to look over your shoulder, and she gave a nod of greeting to whoever it was behind you. You turned to follow her gaze. Berkins glanced at you then directed his attention to Sams again. They were more familiar with one another, having served on a duty station together in the past. “Were you able to find the necessary articles?”

 

“Yes,” Berkins said. You were referring to information regarding ISB personnel that had later served the Rebel cause or had accepted bribes from officers. Those were two large reasons the ISB had failed the Empire. That Berkins had had a name of one of the former-ISB on hand was fantastic. You recalled watching holovids on the man and those he had worked alongside while you were in the academy. “There may be more information if you want to do a bit of extra research after looking through what I included.”

 

You were not opposed to the idea of adding more, however you did want to see what he had provided first. There was no need to focus solely on one individual. More than that, you trusted Berkins, that he had given it his all.

 

Sams lowered into a crouch long enough to set down some of the materials that would not be the focus of your discussion. She activated the display on the datapad while angling the device so that all three of you could see it. Since the previous time you had all met, Sams had been able to write up the history of how the ISB had started and the role it had played. This was before corruption had weighed it down. The dates had been something that had not been your strong suit, which made you grateful that she had accepted this part of the project.

 

“I only have brief notes regarding dates surrounding noteworthy times the ISB made headlines on planets that had looser ties with the Empire.” Sams nodded in Berkin’s direction though she spoke to you. “You should cross check if any of the same ISB agents are mentioned.”

 

“Good point. I’ll definitely look into that.” The touch ups would take a little more time than you had originally believed, however you had everything that you needed to complete them. If you sped read through the chapter for book club and participated in only half of the discussion, you would have plenty of time to do it. The three of you touched on the other basics. Mostly, your two partners explained anything extra they had added and things that would be foolish to remove. All of their sources were cited, which would allow you to investigate things more easily when you did have questions.

 

When time ran out, you wished Sams a good night’s rest and told Berkins you would catch him for breakfast at the beginning of your next shift. You shoved all the materials for the project into the bag you had brought along with you. Most officers were not allowed to carry such bags during their shifts, however you and those in your class had received temporary clearance.

 

Your shift kept you plenty busy. You did not have time to touch or even look at the bag again. It remained tucked underneath the console at which you had been assigned. Your next shift would not be involving the equivalent of desk work. You were looking forward to that. It would be a nice change of pace after having to sit through class and the book club on top of your daily tasks. You were starting to suffer headaches from all the reading you had been doing. Sams aversion to books made sense, you thought, given how much she had to do in her regular work.

 

Once you were in your bunk, with your hair still damp from your shower, you found yourself neglecting the chapter you needed to read for book club. The dings of incoming messages and forum posts for your club alerted you to the fact that your absence had been noticed. Your gaze darted over to the book then returned to the materials for your project. You shook your head, muttered to yourself and made the correction you had started. That finished the middle portion of the project including final formatting. You saved the altered file under a new name. You liked having several backups of the different stages for comparison purposes.

 

You looked at the time and felt your shoulders slump. If only you had the next shift off. You were going to be pulling an all-nighter regardless. There was far too much for you to do still. You set aside the project in favor of picking up the book. This chapter was shorter than the others in the novel, which meant that you could have it finished before the meeting officially ended. You were already rubbing at your eyes, thinking which flavor of caf you would grab from the cafeteria in the morning. You’d be living off caf to function properly. Maybe give yourself time enough for a power nap if possible.

 

Stars, you missed vacation. That reminded you that yours had ended prematurely. You set the book back onto your bed, and started to compose a request for the shift off as compensation. You’d take lessening your current level of stress over a future vacation that may or may not even happen. The worst they could do was deny you. It didn’t hurt to try, even if you were asking a bit late.

 

You did not feel guilty for asking for the leave since you were doing so in order to complete work.

 

You grabbed hold of the book again. This chapter, if you had to pick one, was the least annoying to you. There had been enough character growth for the side character that had a larger part in this portion of the novel. It showed that the author could potentially grow, and perhaps become someone whose novels you would buy more often. You enjoyed that aspect of following authors. Seeing their growth, their development. In certain unfortunate cases they backslid, which meant you either moved away from them entirely or simply became more picky with the books you did buy.

 

Though you has not finished reading the chapter, you pulled up the forum and initiated the open chat feature. You typed a quick statement to let the other members know that you were nearly done. You instantly received two responses from just as many annoyed individuals. One polite  _ take your time _ , and from the remainder it was silence.

 

Some people took book club far too seriously.

 

You ignored the messages that chastised you. Positioning the book so that it blocked your view of the device, you hurriedly wrapped up the chapter. Rather than begin speaking, you went back to skim through the discussion that had taken place without you. There was bickering amongst a few of the members, which caused their silence at your arrival to raise questions. If this book was causing as many issues as it was, you wished you had been there at the beginning to vote against it again.

 

You supposed that you could begin a new branch. “Matt” would likely follow, as would the officer who worked on Kylo Ren’s command shuttle. If you were convincing enough, there was the possibility of dragging Armitage into it. Although that would be a potential mess; Kylo and Armitage would probably argue. Debating would be fine, as that could provide additional insight. You’d run it by Armitage later.

 

Speaking of him…

 

You wrote a generic reply for the chat to let them know you were ready to discuss it. You quickly opened a different window to check if any of your recent messages were from a certain ginger haired man. He had not yet responded to your selfie as of the last time you checked. Your inbox displayed several unread messages, one of which  _ was _ from Armitage.

 

_ I’ve never indulged in that particular venue. _

 

You raised an eyebrow and snorted. How were you supposed to respond to that? A Star Destroyer refresher wasn’t exactly a place that screamed  _ let’s fuck in here. _ The message did have you wondering just what sort of places he was willing to have sex though. Closets, which you would rather not. His quarters. Other than that, nothing sprang to mind. You would have relied on his profile from the dating app if it was not for the fact that someone else had created it.

 

You did know that he was interested in panties as well as your breasts. You’d have to remember to grab one of your decorative pairs to see his reaction. You absolutely loved whenever his cheeks flushed red. Or when he grew bold, that glint in his eye that made your toes curl and heart race.

 

You had not yet replied to the message, and already another one rolled in from the man. You opened it immediately.

 

_ The feed to my quarters is accessible. _

 

As if it wouldn’t be obvious what you would possibly be doing, you scooped up all of your electronic devices and pulled down your covers. You then found a comfortable position lying down with the electronics around you and the blankets covering you from the view of your bunkmates. The camera to General Hux’s quarters showed the man lying on the top of his covers wearing that robe he so loved and snuggling with his cat, communications device, and a cup of...it was either his tarine tea or ginger caf. You grinned mischievously.

 

_ Sext me up, sir. _

 

You sent the message and had a good laugh at him spitting out the beverage in surprise. Millicent startled, the small feline jumping and arching her back. You placed your hand over your mouth to muffle your laughter when several of your bunkmates hissed out various  _ shushes _ and  _ shut the kriff ups _ . Those did not sour your mood in the least. You would have felt similarly if someone had been making noises while you were trying to catch some sleep. On the display, Armitage had turned his head to stare directly at the camera as he wiped his face with the back of his hand. His hands were in motion, composing a reply to you that arrived rather quickly.

 

_ If you were in a more secluded location, I would oblige. Perhaps later? _

 

You gave a mock pout though you knew he could not see you. It did make sense to you. Anyone could technically walk by and pull the covers from off of your head. Pushing your tongue against the back of your teeth, you sent word of your reluctant agreement. It was unfortunate that you had already begun thinking up dirty lines to send his way, urges to get him to take that robe off. There was such limited privacy on a Star Destroyer for officers of your rank.

 

_ What are you doing? _ You asked. Armitage tilted his head to the side, his mouth twitching. You knew that he was debating telling you, which meant it was likely work related. He gave a one-word answer: writing. You huffed and pinched the bridge of your nose. It was definitely work related. Here you had thought the man was taking a break to rest, when in actuality he had dressed down to do even more work.

 

Who in the blazing stars did that?

 

You received a reply to your request for the next shift off, and found yourself hit with the answer to your previous inquiry. Officers of the First Order did that. You felt some of the tension that had been building in your shoulders ease away. Knowing that you would be allowed to work on the project for your class after getting a decent night’s rest was fantastic. It also meant that you could hold your meeting with book club…

 

Whoops.

 

You looked at the open chat, which revealed you as being logged in to the other members who had decided you had probably passed out or felt you were  _ too good to discuss the book _ . You shook your head. This was most definitely going to be your last book with this group, even if Kylo Ren tried to drag you back as he had done this time. You had too much going on in your life to deal with all this pettiness.

 

_ I feel like being on the  _ Finalizer _ is changing me. _

 

It was a rather revealing bit of information, and your pulse changed the moment you sent it off. You observed Armitage’s reactions to the words. He stared at the message, doing nothing else. Then he licked his lips and his fingers were in motion.

 

_ Is this a negative outcome? _

 

That was just it, your quandary. You did not know how you felt with the way you were changing. It had not started on the  _ Finalizer _ , but on vacation. Your present assignment onboard the Star Destroyer was simply emphasizing those changes. That, or the statement regarding you being too good to discuss the book had struck you more deeply than you wanted to admit. You were in no way an egomaniac. You were realizing the sort of person you strived to be, and getting dragged down into unnecessary drama over a book, namely on you had no emotional attachment to, felt so wasteful. There were countless other things of more importance. Being stood up on a date and having your confidence momentarily broken. Listening to General Hux discuss Starkiller, a weapon of unspeakable power, as though activating the weapon was nothing. Thinking of all the lives that could be lost, that  _ would _ be lost during the war.  _ That _ was important. Those were the kind of things you did not mind if they kept you up at night or caused your stomach to churn. A stupid book like this, which was intended as a distraction and a means of entertainment.

 

_ I don’t think so.  _ Like before, he did not respond to what you put right away. You could understand it more this time though. You would have been fumbling for a reply if it had been the other way around.  _ Are you going to be in your quarters for a while? _

 

You did not want to invite yourself over, not really. But you did want to see him. Even if it was only for a few minutes before he had to leave or you fell asleep. That was, if he did not mind you sleeping over.

 

_ You may come. _

 

The frown that had recently developed gave way to a smile. You packed away all of your electronics and project materials into a small bag that you brought along with you. Armitage was waiting for you at the door when you arrived. You placed the bag on the side of the bed, withdrew the device for book club, and started to read through the messages again while you laid on the bed with Armitage’s arm wrapped around you. He typed one-handed on his own device. From what you saw, it was nothing secretive or beyond your current clearance level.

 

“You are too good for them.” Your heart fluttered in your chest. You had not realized the man was reading the posts on the forum. His typing had not ceased. He was a good multitasker. Armitage’s thumb caressed your arm. “They don’t deserve you, and you should not subject yourself to their abuse. There are far more important things in life, and you have plenty on your plate already.”

 

“I lo--” You cleared your throat. Beside you, Armitage had tensed. “Sorry.”

 

“You… There is no need to apologize,” he said, his voice strained. “I am glad that you feel I am treating you well enough that you are beginning to harbor such...feelings. I feel similarly.”

 

Grinning like a fool, you shut off the device and snuggled against him.


	19. Birds of a Feather

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

_ Nineteen _

Birds of a Feather

  


 

There was drool trailing from the corner of your mouth onto the pillow underneath your head. That was a strong indication of just how exhausted you had been. That was also why you felt heat seep into your cheeks as you rubbed your hand back and forth on your mouth and glared at the wetness on the pillow. Armitage was no longer in his quarters with you, or at least not in the bed. You could hear movement in the refresher, however you were unsure if that was him or Millicent. You shifted upwards into a sitting position to get a better look. His greatcoat was on a hanger just outside the door. You nearly snorted at seeing the hook in use; you had never paid much attention to it in the past.

 

You slipped out from underneath the covers. When your foot hit the ground, something soft rubbed along your exposed ankle. You jumped from the shock of it, but recovered the next second. Crouching down, you caught Millicent and pulled her close to your chest. She pressed the top of her head against your chin. She was such a sweetheart, you thought. You kept her cuddled against you while you walked over to the refresher door. A light knock earned a grunt. The door opened, however instead of stepping out Armitage moved back over to the sink to resume brushing his teeth.

 

Despite how he had reacted the previous night, you found yourself feeling a little worried how he would react to you. You had nearly said those three words. Maker, you hadn’t realized just how hard you were falling for the guy until that moment. Now you feared he would pull away. You decided to try to act as normally as possible. 

 

“Are you going to drink tea or caf today?” He was preoccupied with spitting out toothpaste into the sink. As he rose, he informed you that he had Lieutenant Mitaka and Captain Edrison Peavey attending to several of his normal duties. They would call if he was needed on the bridge. “Oh… Is this for when you are on Starkiller?”

 

“That is correct,” he drawled. Armitage rinsed out the sink as well as his mouth then at last faced you rather than observe you in the mirror. “It would be unethical if I assist you with the project, however once you have completed it, I planned on the two of us spending some more time together.” You debated switching around the order of those tasks. He was on-call. The longer you waited, the more likely it was Armitage would be summoned to the bridge. As if reading your mind, he tilted his head to the side. “I don’t know if I should enable such ethics.”

 

His actions very much contradicted his words. Armitage had both of his hands on your hips and was leaning in for a kiss. Millicent perked up. She placed her front paws on her owner’s chin and licked his nose. You giggled, your laughter swallowed by his lips when he ducked around the feline in a second attempt. The redhead pulled Millicent out of your hands. You followed him out of the refresher. Spotting the remnant of saliva on the pillowcase, you cringed. Armitage did not comment on it. He sat on the edge of the bed, placed the small tabby beside him, and began watching you.

 

“Is it your turn to take the lead?” he asked. You blinked. You  _ did _ want to take the lead. That was another thing that you had been worried about. Not being able to explore as a dom. You would definitely describe yourself as being a switch. Armitage was someone you had not known would be interested at all in playing the role of a submissive partner.

 

You thought back to the first time the pair of you had touched. He had had such difficulty controlling himself, and you had nearly crumbled as well. Unlike on the vacation, he was relaxed from what you could tell. You could detect no tension from his posture. He was plenty ready for you to take the lead.

 

“I would love to. Although...if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, you’ll let me know, right?”

 

Armitage crossed his arms over his chest, which at first worried you that he was becoming defensive. His tone when he spoke, however, had not changed. It retained its playful, flirtatious quality. “Should we use a safeword?” You thought on this before shrugging. You voiced your intentions to the man. You were hoping to explore clothed female-naked male dynamics coupled with restraints to include a cock ring you had ordered with his permission. “You are worried about overstimulation.”

 

“That is definitely my concern.” You had started to open the drawer in which the toys and restraints were kept. The feather would come in handy once he was restrained and the ring in position. “Obviously if you said  _ stop _ , I’d stop. This shouldn’t be too intense… I don’t even know if a safe word is absolutely necessary. But it is something we need to discuss again, for now and for the future. I just want to be, well, safe.”

 

Armitage voiced that he trusted you, although he did take into consideration your nervousness. After thinking on it for a moment, he provided the safe word:  _ catnip _ . It had you stopping in your tracks, shaking your head, and mouthing the word. It also reminded you that Millicent would need to be secured in the refresher so that her claws did not dig into his flesh when you started to use the feather. That would serve as a large turn-off, and possibly turn into a visit to medbay.

 

You placed the items off to the side long enough to tuck Millicent into the refresher along with a cat treat to keep her in a pleasant mood. Armitage was rather accommodating when it came to undressing without you having to ask him. You grinned while lifting the restraints and walking to the bed. He, now naked, laid on the mattress. His head was tilted to the side so that he was able to watch you at an angle. His facial expression revealed to that he was, in fact, nervous about giving up control.

 

“Is this a bad idea?” He shook his head. “I won’t bind all your limbs if you don’t want me to.”

 

“I’m simply nervous how skilled you’ll be with the feather.” You smirked. Armitage set his hands above his head, not objecting to you restraining them to the headboard. You paused long enough to gesture to his legs and for him to nod. His tongue flicked out along his lips. You finished restraining his limbs, and slipped the ring onto his cock. There were two that you had purchased. This one was for the purpose of elongating the duration of his erection. The other would be useful during sex in that it would aid in stimulating you.

 

With him stretched out on the bed and not going anywhere, you took a step back to admire your work. Then you ogled his body. It was a sight you would never stop enjoying.

 

You plucked up the feather, rubbing your index finger and thumb back and forth causing the object to spin in circles. You placed your free hand onto his stomach. The muscles in his abdomen tightened. His chest expanded then froze. He was holding his breath. You shifted the hand off of him onto the bed to brace yourself. The feather on his navel had him jerking against the restraints. You removed it, which earned you a chance to hear your name slip from his lips. His teeth were clenched. He wanted more.

 

You danced the plume down the length of his nose, albeit not to where you would cause him to sneeze. He squeezed his eyes closed until the contact with his face was broken. He then pursed his lips, his nostrils flaring. You observed this reaction, mentally debating if he was  _ too _ frustrated, or if he would be patient enough for what you had planned. You decided against further teasing his face with the feather. Your lips, however, pressed to his cheek and you murmured that he was doing a _ good job. _

 

Armitage relaxed once more. His breathing became more regulated, although not quite to its norm since blood had begun to pool south. You eyed his forming erection with a renewed sense of eagerness. You could certainly handle teasing his body rather than his face. It better allowed you to watch his reactions, not to mention the fact that any excuse to pay more attention to his chest was fine in your book. The nipples were sensitive. Not only on females either, you inwardly cooed. As you thought such things, you twirled the feather in circles around his left bud. His abdominal muscles jumped. A hiss of air was sucked through clenched teeth. Next came a groan of pleasure.

 

You tickled directly under the nipple, all the while observing the expressions he made. This was a rather sensitive area for him. You doubted that his previous partners had paid much attention to his chest. It was their loss, you thought. You were very much enjoying the way his lips parted as he gasped when you next stroked the feather down the bud. You dancing the feather, spinning it all the while, along his chest to pay attention to the other side. Armitage turned his head, tucking it against his outstretched arm as best he could. His face was flushed, his cock still hardening. He was almost fully erect.

 

_ I found your weakness, _ you inwardly cooed, feeling pleased with yourself. “What do you think of nipple clamps?” you asked while setting two fingers against his cheek to turn his face so that he was looking at you. His thighs jerked. The bed frame groaned at the force used against it. You peered down at his feet. His toes were wiggling, however he stopped his fidgeting immediately. His lips moved. You could not hear what he said, his voice was so quiet. Armitage wet his lips then tried once more.  _ Catnip _ . You held your breath for a second. Unable to find the answer yourself, you asked, “Are you catnipping what we’re doing, or the clamps?”

 

“Clamps,” he replied. You grinned. It was crazy, to you, how relieved that made you. You really wanted to please this man, especially after his performance as the dominant partner. Leaning down, you gave his neck a light nip and whispered  _ okay _ .

 

You traced down his sternum to his navel. When the feather touched two inches down from his belly button, Armitage swore. You bit down on the insides of your cheeks to keep from grinning too widely. Despite the times the two of you had been together already, he was still, in a way, touch starved when it came to foreplay. “I love you like this,” you said, moving up onto the bed and lying with your feet near his head. You rested your cheek on his thigh, stroking the feather back and forth to help the man grow accustomed to the teasing.

 

“...like this?” he asked. You responded with a hummed out  _ mmhmm. _ “I only heard that part. What did you say before it?”

 

“Oh,” you said in understanding. “I said: I love you…” Your cheeks heated up, and you started to say the other two words, however found yourself silenced by what the redhead said:

 

“The feeling is mutual.” The feather was no longer moving. Neither were you, for that matter. Your eyes had widened, and you were looking down the length of his body up to his face. Armitage met your gaze head on. “I may have lied there. I did hear you.”

 

The nonsensical sputtering that issued forth was anything other than sexy. This did not stop the sultry smile from playing on his face. It was not exactly the same as him actually saying  _ I love you _ . But, coming from this man, it was the best equivalent you could think of.

 

You recovered from your surprise, opting to return to your previous task of teasing him. The feather brushed down to his cock. You twirled it again so that it caressed the underside of his erection. Up and down. The flesh was growing red from his arousal, the ring still tight around him, albeit not enough to cut off circulation. You asked if he was uncomfortable, and Armitage shook his head. His breathing grew more labored when you then repeated the act.

 

You leaned down to trace your tongue along the portion of his flesh that you had just tickled with the feather. The plume met the sensitive area of his navel as you sealed your mouth around the head of his cock. His moan entered your ears. It was deep, needy. You swirled your tongue around the opening from which beads of precum were coming. Armitage did not struggle against the restraints. He was growing more accustomed to his restricted movements. You were quite content with it as well, able to toy with his cock at whatever pace  _ you _ desired.

 

Your saliva slicked up his cock, which allowed you to use your free hand. You teased his shaft then cupped his sac. The feather danced along the length of his cock that was not in your mouth. The mattress rocked. Peeking up between your eyelashes, you found that Armitage had thrown back his head in a silent moan. Perspiration coated his chest. He clenched and unclenched his hands, rolling his wrists. You paused long enough so that he could recover. The ring was helping him to last despite the new stimulation. But that did not mean you would be merciless; you could always tie him up another time, work him up to being prepared for longer sessions.

 

Plus, you would feel wretched if he was called to the bridge before he could cum.

 

You shifted the ring, earning a louder moan from the redhead. “Mm. Don’t you want to be touched?” he asked. You smiled at his thoughtfulness then whispered that you just wanted to play with him this time. He sighed in contentment; your hands were not idle.

 

Drawing a line with your tongue up to his chest, you ground against him despite your clothes. Armitage nearly whimpered, the sound beginning to erupt from him only for him to quickly clear his throat. Your smile widened into a grin. The whimper did emerge, however, when you drew random letters with the feather on his chest. You could feel his cock twitch against you through your pants. “I don’t know how I feel about cum stains on my clothing,” you said teasingly. Armitage gulped, his eyes widening a little as though he was suddenly afraid of your reaction should such a thing occur. You stuck your tongue out at him to ensure he knew you would not be angry.

 

Which was possibly a good thing. His entire body was trembling as he came, his eyelids fluttering and his mouth dropped open in a moan so loud it made no sound. Your lips puckered forward. “Oh,” you whispered, loving the sight of him so undone. You could feel yourself growing wet. “Maybe I will have to take care of myself.”

 

“I can,” he said between gulps of air. You bit down on your bottom lip, tilted your head to the side, and raised an eyebrow. “Yes.”

 

It was nice that the two of you were on the same page. You set aside the feather and drew your pants and panties down your legs. You prolonged these acts to allow him more time to breathe before you straddled his face. Your hands were in his hair, and you ground against his face. A swooping sensation in your lower belly as your inner walls throbbed, assaulted by his devilishly skilled tongue.

 

He missed the first call from the bridge, the sound drowned out by your scream of ecstasy as you came. Being that he could not very well go to the bridge when his face was smeared with your cum, hair mussed up from sex, and body covered in sweat, his departure from you was delayed for some minutes longer. You had to give the man props for how quickly he did ready himself. He gave you one final kiss then left his quarters.

 

In a very relaxed mood, you freed Millicent from the refresher, and set to work on finalizing the project.

 

The day of the presentation, you met with your partners to ensure they were able to see the finalized project. Berkins and Sams approved of your finishing touches to the project. You were more grateful that you had taken the day off to spend additional time rather than working on it while exhausted. Sams had volunteered to take the lead as speaker when time came for the actual presentation. You selected segments that you wished to speak on, meanwhile Berkins had elected to serve as the final speaker. He was also prepared to answer any questions that Kylo Ren would potentially have. That was an interesting thing to worry about. The Master of the Knights of Ren would be present. He, along with Major Lenix, would serve as a more active audience in comparison to how they had been on previous occasions. General Hux would also be present, however it was stated that he would be silent.

 

The three of you entered the room together. Half the class was already present, others trickling in as it drew closer to time for the presentations. You had chosen a seat in the middle row. It provided the best view of Kylo Ren and Major Lenix. You hated that your group was not to present first. Your fear was that a lot of the information each group used would be near identical. Kylo Ren did not have a large amount of patience, at least not when it came to having to listen group after group give the same details. Stars, you yourself would grow bored of it. Whichever group went last, you felt sorry for them.

 

Sams drummed her fingers on her arm, the sounds muffled by the sleeve of her shirt. She was nervous, you knew. More than Berkins or you. Her siblings were all successful in their line of work, which unfortunately had resulted in her parents using them as a means for comparison. She did not want to let anyone down. You doubted anyone in her family was aware that she was being considered for a better position. You had not made it known. Berkins had received permission to tell the officer he was in a relationship with. You did not know the whole story behind that, however it was hardly any of your business.

 

The first group was called to the front to deliver their presentation. You rested an elbow on the table in front of you, cupped your hand over your mouth, and narrowed your eyes a little to watch. You hoped to learn more about how Major Lenix and Kylo Ren reacted to specific word choices. Their body language could reveal a lot, or nothing at all. Anything that would assist your own group in not annoying the Force user would be fantastic.

 

There was, of course, the disadvantage that information your group presented would already be viewed as flawed. You idly wished that the presentations had been conducted with an absence of the rest of the class. Your gaze slipped to Sams. She had started to chew on her bottom lip, a habit you had never seen from her before. Of the three of you, Sams was most intimidated by Kylo Ren. Granted, she had the least amount of interactions with the man, and so relied predominantly on rumor when it came to his behaviors.

 

_ Don’t freak out on us, Sams, _ you thought. You wished that you could say these words aloud. Getting caught would only make matters worse. You knew that Sams would not fail your group when the time came. She had experience speaking with superior officers due to her line of work within the First Order. That part, she was definitely prepared for. The waiting was always the worst, or so she had told you. It was not a lie. That had been the worst part of your vacation, waiting there in the cafe. Armitage had been present with you then as well. You looked at him then at Sams again.  _ We’ve got this. _

 

The first presentation ended, and you heard your name called along with those of your two partners. Your eyes naturally darted to General Hux, whose lips twitched. He  _ almost _ smiled. A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it expression. You didn’t blink, which allowed you to see it. You took a deep breath while rising to your feet. You could do this.

 

And then you would  _ finally _ learn what the next phase of this was, what project or promotion Armitage had said you would find to your liking.


	20. Hearing the News

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

_ Twenty _

Hearing the News

  


 

Berkins held the majority of the supplies needed for the presentation, including the holoplayer that housed the chip containing the powerpoint. The powerpoint had been an optional aspect of the project, and the first group had failed to utilize it. You never understood this, how and why people used the bare minimum when promotions were at stake. To you, it read laziness. The power point, aside from being a visual aid, allowed for improved organization as well as openings for taking questions or engaging in debates without taking away from the overall presentation. It was especially useful for the portion of your group’s project when it came to discussing Sinjir Rath Velus.

 

Major Lenix’s upper lip curled in distaste at the name, although this was in no way a bad reaction given the former-ISB officer’s actions following his defection from the Empire. “Some have claimed that his sexuality influenced his decision to betray the Empire after the battle on Endor. There were incentives in place for officers to copulate with the purpose of yielding offspring, and thus there  _ was _ something of a bias against those who did not practice heterosexual relationships. There is an argument that renders this reasoning flawed, however, since there are numerous known officers from the Empire that also had partners of the same gender.” Berkins swiped his thumb along his chin, his eyes darting momentarily to Kylo Ren. The darkly robed man had hardly reacted since the presentation had begun. This was not dissimilar to his behavior with the previous group.

 

“His position sowed seeds of mistrust and even disdain,” you continued upon noticing that Major Lenix’s mouth had twitched to one side. This was one of his tells that he was readying an argument. “Exaggerating an existing prejudice as being something far more prevalent than its reality further distanced him from his peers. This, ironically, eliminated senses of loyalty in loyalty officers. There are witnesses, on record, stating that Sinjir voiced the perceived prejudice against him and his partner during the events leading up to the battle on Jakku.”

 

From here, you allowed Berkins and Sams to again take the reins in continuing the power point. Velus’s self-alienation and clearly selfish motivations were  _ perfect _ , you had to say. Kylo Ren commented on the behavior of the former ISB officer, though this was a semi-barbed comment against First Order officers who had annoyed him in the past.

 

It did sting a bit when the layout of one of the arguments your project presented was criticized. This was something  _ you _ had done, and you had been rather proud of it up until that point. Your eyes darted to the display. In your opinion, it was not as poorly done as Major Lenix implied; that being said, you were biased. Sams took the lead at this point to recover some ground, only for Kylo Ren to weigh in and forcing her to backtrack. He wanted to hear why she found it prudent to change the subject. You wondered if he had simply become bored enough that his desire to see someone squirm had risen.

 

“Th-the, uh…” Sams took a deep breath to regain her composure. Your eyes were on her face, and you noted how confident she grew. “The argument presented was valid; the changes that Major Lenix suggested would have strengthened our stance. I saw no need to further debate this, and it would be detrimental if the focus  _ did _ linger here rather than steering the discussion back to the main point of this presentation.”

 

You could not tell how General Hux reacted to Sams’s response, as you did not look in his direction. In the corner of your eye, you were able to see Berkins’s eyebrows rise as he nodded; a sign that he respected the woman. Major Lenix’s mouth pulled down, although not into a frown. He was clearly astonished that Sams had been confident enough to speak to Kylo Ren. Generally, officers were known to stutter more than she had, and they also had a tendency to say things with the aim to pacify the man rather than deal more honestly. As for Kylo Ren:

 

“That is wise.” His tone betrayed nothing. “My time is not to be wasted.”

 

Sams lowered her eyes to the floor for half a heartbeat. She cleared her throat once more then began to resume her portion of the presentation. Berkins interjected twice where appropriate, as he had added much to the finer details on the matter. You answered several questions asked by Major Lenix. Since you had completed the finishing touches, you had familiarized yourself with alterations the First Order had made already based on the failures of the Empire’s ISB. This had been the perfect way to wrap things up.

 

The three of you returned to your seats, Sams and Berkins on either side of you. Your heart continued to race from the nervousness you had experienced. Reporting to a superior officer always had that effect on you. You wished that you could ask your two partners how they felt, as well as congratulate and thank them for how they had handled things.

 

Instead, you joined the remainder of the class in observing others deliver their reports and present their projects to your two superiors. As you had suspected, there were several aspects that were repeated as each group took their turns. That redundancy did have an effect on Kylo Ren’s mood. The man called for a brief recess, which unfortunately meant that all involved in the class had to use the time to find substitutes to fill in for their normal duties. You would have preferred to go back to work rather than remain as an audience member. It would better serve you as a means of distracting yourself for whether or not you had passed this test.

 

You wanted so badly to learn what position Armitage thought you would enjoy, and now that there was no presentation looming over your head, you were growing antsy.

 

By the cycle’s end, no one had received the results of the class. Major Lenix had informed the entire class that each individual would be called separately to speak with him. Inquiries were not to be sent his way. That would only bog down his schedule. He did reveal that there would be more than one group. Those who failed, in which case there would be no punishment and a minimal monetary compensation for their time—regardless of their success, the interactions would be useful for future classes. There would also be those who would gain the positions available. Lastly, a group that would move onto another phase as they trained for a position, the details of which had not been leaked.

 

Armitage had returned to his duties on the bridge, and Kylo Ren resumed fulfilling missions given to him by Supreme Leader Snoke. The book club that you had previously enjoyed had officially disbanded following irreparable differences of numerous members. This had, clearly, not come as a surprise to you, although you were slightly disappointed that you would be tasked with discovering a new group. You could also form one of your own when you had more time for social activities. The class that you had taken part in had used up much of your free time, and you wanted to ensure that some of your extracurricular activities were ones that would contribute to future promotions. That was more difficult when you were stationed on a Star Destroyer, though not impossible.

 

To thank the officer who had covered for you on the day of the presentations, you requested that, should the need arise, you were given a chance to cover one of their shifts.

 

You were not one of the officers summoned to speak with Major Lenix on the first day following the end of class. As to whether this was a good sign or bad, or if it had any bearing whatsoever, you remained unsure. Keeping yourself busy was of the utmost importance for you to not drive yourself insane. The end of your shift was the worst. You sat up in your bunk, fidgeting and wiggling your toes. You had decided to open the dating application that you had deleted your profile from. There were guest features; not that you were interested in using them for their main purpose. You simply wanted to see if anything had been changed following the usage of Armitage’s personal information to create that false profile.

 

To avoid there being any sort of misunderstanding—device history and all—you did send Armitage a quick message stating what you were doing. His response came more quickly than you had believed. He was amused rather than put off by what you were doing. Apparently he had already done similarly. The First Order had amped up security quite a bit from what the message read and what you were seeing on the homepage alone. There was a warning that to use the application, it was required to use a device that had camera or transmission capabilities to verify facial profiles. The downside to this was that you knew it would dissuade some officers from using it. Not that you would blame them.

 

One dickhead could ruin things for everyone.

 

You did have to admit that the set-up of the application was preferable to its beta phase. It was easier to understand what features were available. Such as the added  _ virtual date _ , which opened up a transmission between the two parties without one having to release information regarding their personal communicators. That certainly would have been helpful for you, although you were grateful given how things had worked out. There were anti-stalking features and tools for one to report abuse of the system. It truly balanced out the fact that new methods for identification verification were in place.

 

If the First Order ever thought to create similar systems to help with socialization—say, for instance, a way that people could create book clubs or platforms to share other similar interests—there were many tools now on this application that would be useful there as well. You wondered if this was something that you could bring up with Armitage, or if you should approach a different superior officer.

 

You were at last tired enough to fall asleep without worrying about the results of the class. You exited out of the application, shut down your devices, and pulled the covers over your body.

 

Breakfast and lunch breaks rolled by before you were summoned by Major Lenix for the results of the class. You practically leapt out of your seat. You were beyond ready to hear the news, be it good or bad. Sams, without revealing too much, had given you a message saying she had heard her results first thing at the beginning of her shift. The two of you had tentative plans to meet following dinner to discuss how each of you fared.

 

Major Lenix was in the same room that he had used for the classes. The man asked for you to be seated when you arrived. That set your heart racing. You obeyed him, choosing the chair that was nearest to where he stood. “The purpose of this specific class was to see which officers would be able to work alongside Kylo Ren and his Knights, as well as to determine which officers fit the criteria for a second role we have in the works. Both require an understanding of the importance of loyalty from our officers—the Knights of Ren, while our allies, do operate under a different code. That cannot be used as an excuse to betray the First Order, as we saw from ISB officers of the Empire. I believe that you would have been successful in this first role, however it is the second that you are considered for.”

 

_ Here it is, _ you thought, nodding and offering up a  _ yes, sir  _ to acknowledge that you were listening.

 

“We value loyalty in the First Order. Causing excess paranoia, as the ISB did, would hinder us rather than allow our officers to grow and be proud of their accomplishments. Creating an improved sense of unity is what this new role focuses on. It would be your duty to find regulation-approved methods of nurturing strong bonds amongst co-workers. You would occasionally visit other duty stations to assist in implementing these methods. I have in your records notations that you are adept at engaging in healthy social behaviors to include a book club and even your relationship with General Hux.” You felt your face heat up at that final portion. You had not been prepared for its mention. “Your ability to separate business and pleasure shows that you have a comprehension of what we hope to create for other officers without abusing the system.

 

“There will be times that you would work alongside the Knights of Ren, or interact with other personnel who will do so. They need to feel comfortable speaking to you and the others who will have this new position. Likewise, you will have to be comfortable approaching the Knights or Kylo Ren to propose mediation tools if the need arises. This all being said, it is up to you whether or not you wish to accept the position. If you do, you will be enrolled in the classes necessary—you will become more proficient in citing all regulations, become more involved with those who have created previous social tools such as the dating app that you used in the past.”

 

Even as Major Lenix spoke, your mind was racing through the mental work you had done the previous night regarding how you could speak to someone about setting up similar platforms. To think that you would be offered a position in the First Order where that would be one of your duties. You could easily see why it was that Armitage believed you would enjoy this position. He knew that you were part of a book club, that you enjoyed such discussions. Ensuring that others in the First Order received the same capabilities was, well, amazing. It occurred to you suddenly that the major was waiting for a response from you. The position was yours, but you had to first accept it.

 

“I—yes, I accept,” you said, perking up and nodding. You understood that your schedule, while you were taking the additional classes, would be as tight as it had been during the previous class. Perhaps even more so, since you would undoubtedly spend time getting to know those you would be working closely with. Thankfully, the man you were with understood and appreciated busy schedules. Since the book club had disbanded, Kylo Ren could not drag you into more sessions. Although, you noted, you would inform him of your thoughts on seeing that multiple such groups were created. You would not mind joining whatever book club he was a part of.

 

The sense of pleasure and achievement stuck with you throughout the remainder of your shift and well past dinner when you were to meet with Sams. She, too, had good news. Sams had been offered the position to work with the Knights. How she had spoken to Kylo Ren with great composure despite his prodding had impressed your superiors. No one had been demanding perfection on that front; the man was known to lash out at those of higher ranks than what Sams held. She was looking more forward to meeting the Knights of Ren than having to deal with Kylo.

 

When it came to sharing your news, Sams was equally thrilled. The two of you, as Major Lenix had stated, would find yourselves working together from time to time. You could bounce ideas off of one another, support each other.

 

Berkins had not been offered either position, the two of you learned, although his exemplary skills at research had influenced General Hux to place the man in a department on the First Order that better suited his capabilities. He was set up for a promotion. Similar things had happened for several other of your peers.

 

It was with Armitage that you wanted to share the good news, although he likely was already aware of the position that you had been offered. Despite this, telling him in person would make it feel more real. Not only the promotion, but your relationship as well. Unfortunately, you had already been sent a message informing you that he would be working a double shift while the officers who would take over command, albeit on a temporary basis, of the  _ Finalizer _ when he was away at Starkiller rested as well as studied information regarding the two new positions. It would change how the Star Destroyer ran—not to mention all other vessels and bases once the programs were formally up and running.

 

The first thing you did once you at last returned to your bunk after spending a little more time with Sams, you opened the feed to Armitage’s quarters and watched Millicent playing. Simultaneously, you began jotting down notes on the thoughts you had had the previous night. There would be others with similar ideas no doubt. This would be useful to you. More people to assist you in checking that everything met regulations. The upcoming classes would ensure that you met those individuals; not having to seek them out yourself lessened what would have otherwise been stressful. For the suggestions that you already had taken notes on, you wondered if any of them would be denied due to clashing with work schedules. That was another thing you would have to ensure did not occur. Work would need to remain the main focus of every individual even when they participated in these social activities and groups. Some shared interests could corrupt one’s work ethics, or even sway their loyalty to the First Order if they became fanatical.

 

Once you were satisfied with the notes that you had taken, you set aside everything save for the device on which you were observing Millicent. You wanted to go into Armitage’s quarters to cuddle with her. To have his scent around you. If the man was not so busy, you would send him a request. As it was, you did not wish to distract him since that would serve only to extend the time preceding him finally getting a break.

 

You slept better than you had in ages, and woke up refreshed for your next shift. Armitage had sent you a small messaging outlining when the two of you would be able to see one another next. It would be another full cycle until then, which was depressing in a way. At the same time, you were glad that part of the reasoning behind this was that he planned on sleeping before the two of you were together. The  _ P.S. _ at the end of the message was what had your mind racing.

 

_ I have a surprise for you. _

 

Feeling cheeky, you offered a reply of your own.

 

_ You better, because I got the job. _

 

It was not quite the same as telling him in person, however you were pleased that you had this chance to be flirtatious. Especially when he, despite obviously knowing already due to his rank, offered his congratulations and told you that he was proud of you.


	21. Final Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little shorter than I thought it'd be, but oh well.

 

**Hold the Cream, Add Some Ginger**

_ Twenty-One _

Final Surprise

  


 

Normally, a delay in schedule for classes pertinent to new positions signified disaster. When you had received the alert, your heart had skipped a beat and your mind had started to list a variety of attacks from the Resistance that could have resulted in the changes. All too soon, however, you remembered that there had never been an alert screaming at you from the  _ Finalizer _ ’s speakers. Where confusion remained, at least your worry had dwindled. You scrolled past the alert regarding the schedule change and found that earlier than that you had been sent a message by Armitage. A message that informed you there was no need to worry about the upcoming alert.

 

Well, universe, sorry the inbox displays the newest messages first.

 

Halfway through your work shift, you were informed that your duties for the next three cycles had been given to others. Along with this news was the added bit that you were to meet General Hux at the docking bay when you ended your shift. Without anyone telling you, you knew that this had something to do with the surprise Armitage had mentioned. That this surprise entailed altering when classes were begin and your work schedule? You were entering panic mode. He wasn’t planning anything like a...wedding, was he? Thus far you had not seen anything that screamed  _ psychotic stalker _ . Yes, starting off he had pursued you, however it was not what you would refer to as overly-aggressive.

 

The worst part of it was that meeting him at the docking bay directly after your shift meant that you were possibly going to be traveling yet had no time at all to pack. He had to have packed for you.

 

Sure enough, there were two bags already loaded onto the transport shuttle when you arrived. Armitage was still dressed in his uniform, as were you. “I trust that your work has been completed.”

 

“Uh...yeah…” Good to see you too, you thought. He placed a hand on your lower, steering you up the ramp and into the seat beside his. “This isn’t…. You aren’t planning a shotgun wedding or anything, right?”

 

“I..what?” He furrowed his brow, a look of confusion crossing his features, which then relaxed as he smiled in amusement. “Well… I see your mind has been racing.” Armitage leaned over and gave your cheek a quick kiss. His lips then shifted onto yours. You returned this kiss, sighing in contentment as your worries slipped away. “This is nothing quite so extravagant as a marriage. Before you are loaded down with extra duties, however, I decided it would be fair if I allowed you to teach me how to vacation properly.”

 

You released a light  _ oo _ of anticipation and to acknowledge that you had heard him. His words also helped you to fully relax the rest of the way. You wondered where, exactly, he was taking you. Not that you asked; you did enjoy the suspense now that you knew the plans were not anything over the top. You doubted that it was to the planet on which you had met him in the cafe. Reusing the same locations in such a short time increased the odds of running into the Resistance. You did, however, gesture towards his uniform and asked if he planned on wearing it the entire time.

 

Armitage smirked while saying, “Of course not.”

 

There was light banter between the pair of you for the duration of the trip, although you also enjoyed the periods in which there was silence. Work and the way your mind had run amok with worry over the surprise had worn you out. As the transport shuttle neared the planet after exiting hyperspace, you leaned forward to peer out the windshield. A grin stole over your features. Though it was a different planet, it had similar features from what you could tell. The vacation would include a trip to the beach. Finally…  _ Finally _ you would get this ginger-haired man out of his uniform and into the water.

 

The shuttle landed on the outskirts of the small city that was by the sea. You sat beside him in a landspeeder with another officer taking the driver’s seat. There was a second landspeeder utilized by the stormtroopers that would be staying at the same resort hotel. With Starkiller Base nearing its final stages of construction, there were less chances being taken when it came to General Hux’s safety. On top of that, there had been an increase in Resistance activity. It was no wonder the First Order had begun to concern itself with officer morale. There were far too many deaths that had been dealt, and Maker knew how many more to come. Feelings of isolation during a tragedy could worsen the blow.

 

You still had not yet opened the bag that had been packed for you, however you imagined that Armitage had either purchased a new swimsuit for you, or else he had grabbed the one from your quarters. That had you wondering: did Armitage Hux even  _ own _ a bathing suit? What style was it? You glanced at his lap then let your eyes roam up his torso. A grin had spread on your face again. While, yes, you could imagine him in a speedo, you doubted he would wear something to that effect in public. Did his swim trunks have the First Order insignia? He had enjoyed your panties with their Imperial symbols.

 

“No broken noses this time,” Armitage whispered in your hear, the man having leaned closer to you. You wrinkled your nose and held in a groan. His smile was worth the joke; you were glad that he was humored by what had occurred rather than bitter. The joke did have you wondering if he had packed the toy you had previously thrown at him. You licked your lips at the thought.

 

One major difference, which you approved of, between this vacation and the previous was that Armitage had booked the honeymoon suite for the pair of you. One side of the room consisted of windows that overlooked the beach. You sighed wistfully as you peered out it, tilting your head back a little and then allowing your eyes to close. Even with the windows closed, you could smell the fresh air. The city was not as industrial as many that you had visited, although that was partly due to the fact that it was newer. You hoped that it did not become overly large and lose its appeal, its beauty.

 

You had previously changed into the bathing suit you planned to wear on the beach, and pulled on a cover since, as Armitage had informed you, the two of you would first be stopping by a cafe.

 

The red-haired man stepped out of the bathroom, and your eyes bulged as you stared at his reflection in the window. You turned, your grin from before returning in full. Armitage also wore swimwear. The trunks were black, though you realized you should have expected nothing less. The most endearing aspect? It had a small ginger tabby on the corner of his left leg. His top and flipflops along with the sunscreen he was rubbing down his arms showed that he was serious about vacationing properly. Sunglasses were hooked into the neckline of his shirt.

 

“I think the universe is coming to an end,” you said, smirking at him.

 

Armitage’s face took on a reddish hue. “Quiet, you.” You wrinkled your nose as you stepped away from the window to get a better look at him. You rolled up onto the tips of your toes and braced your hands against his chest. His hands, meanwhile, found your waist. “I will need to put the sunscreen into your bag.” You nodded. That had been another part of the surprise. He had purchased a new bathing suit for you as well as a beach bag to carry your things. There was no book for you to read this time, although you preferred it this way. You wanted to talk to him, not disappear into a novel. The two of you would soon have busy schedules, not to mention him leaving the  _ Finalizer _ from time to time.

 

Shoving that aside so as to not spoil the mood, you tossed the sunscreen into the bag and followed Armitage out the door. Those present to guard him would remain nearby. There would be distance. Privacy. You surmised that one of them was a pracised sniper, which meant he or she would remain in the hotel. This thought helped to put your mind at ease.

 

“I wonder if the cafe here is any good,” you said conversationally when the two of you exited the hotel. Several shops had neon lights announcing their name, where others relied on fancy script that caught the eye. You enjoyed the variety, and found that it did not feel overbearing. The cafe in question was located down a block from the hotel and across the street from the beach. Armitage replied that they had ginger caf, as though that alone ensured that they were up to par with other cafes you had been to. “Maybe I want a macchiato.”

 

“A ginger espresso macchiato?” It had not been what you were suggesting, no. Still, you decided to humor him with a drawn out  _ maybe _ . “Perhaps I’ll be adventurous and order something outside of my usual.”

 

“Oh, like an  _ iced _ ginger caf?” you teased. The next second, you burst out laughing as his face reddened again, his bottom lip protruding forward in a small pout. It seemed that you were getting to know the man better than you had realized. “As long as you enjoy it, that’s what’s important.”

 

Armitage grunted. At the same time, he brushed the back of your hand with the tips of two fingers. You allowed him to then capture the limb in his. There was a small line inside of the cafe with five people ahead of you; three of them were together, while the other two appeared to be there alone. This cafe was almost half the size of the one that you had frequented on your previous vacation. Being that you were in no rush, you did not mind that this meant you had to wait a little while for the line to move up.

 

You scanned the menu that was posted behind the counter. There were a handful of flavors as well as multiple add-ins. The place smelled delicious, the scent of caffeine waking you up. Armitage reached into your bag to grab out some credits while you debated which drink you would select. He ordered the iced ginger macchiato when the pair of you were at the front of the line. Holding in your laughter, you chose an iced drink as well then added two of the mix ins. Once the drinks were ready and they had been paid for, you and Armitage left the cafe and headed for the beach.

 

The water looked so calm to you, waves lapping gently at the sand. You slid out of your sandals midway to the water so that they did not get swept away. Armitage reluctantly kicked off his flipflops. You held onto your caf in one hand, and used your other hand to tug the man along. He did not pull away, although his back was arched as though he were unsure if he wanted to get wet. Both of his hands were on his cup.

 

“I don’t know if they allow drinks in the water.”

 

You rolled your eyes. “They don’t have rules for the beach.” Clearing his throat, he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. You paused in your steps, squinted your eyes, and read the small list of rules that was posted on the lifeguard stand. “Fine. They do have rules about not littering. Keep hold of your cup, and we’ll be just fine.” You resumed dragging him to the water, and this time you met less resistance.

 

“Kriff! That’s freezing!” You could hardly respond to his words given that you were trying to digest how quickly and high he had jumped when his feet had made contact with the water.

 

Once you recovered, you shrugged. “I don’t think it’s that bad.” He hummed in thought, standing beside you and sipping his drink. You loved feeling the way the sand was pulled out from under your feet as the water receded, then more was pushed on top. Along with seaweed, which caught around Armitage’s ankles as well. This time he did not jump. He looked down, grunted, and sipped his caf again. “Thanks. For bringing me here, I mean.”

 

At long last, he fully relaxed despite the coolness of the water. Armitage smiled fondly at you. “Once the minister arrives, it will be complete.” You had never felt yourself freeze up so quickly. Then heat invaded your body as he broke into laughter. As much as you loved the sound, you kicked water at his retreating form for teasing you like that. The seaweed prevented him from getting far. He leaned down, using the hand not holding his cup to throw water your way.

 

Before you could retaliate, he lunged for you, grabbing you up into his arms and pressing his lips to yours. You instantly relaxed into the kiss, closing your eyes and relishing the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was originally going to have them end in the cafe, however AZDragon's comment regarding getting Hux into the water made me switch it up.


End file.
